Winds of Change: Season Three
by Rosebud1773
Summary: [Update: Chapter Three Up] Change flows through every part of life. Some say that change is driven by the wind. Elisa Maza has tasted the change that wind has brought into her life. Her commitment ceremony has not gone as expected. Demona has crashed that particular party with blood, Goliath's blood. The eye of the storm swirls around the clan in these dark times.
1. Chapter 1

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Rosebud1773.

**Winds of Change: Season Three**

**Chapter One**

Goliath lay at her feet, his body cooling, a growing pool of blood surrounding him. Elisa's gown, once delicate creams and golds, was now soaked in crimson below her rounded belly. She was numb, her mind splintered the instant her mate's heart stopped beating. Her eyes scanned the room listlessly and stopped with a suddenness that jolted her to the core. Demona. The gargoyle female stood between Brooklyn and Broadway, her arms in their grip. They had contained her too late. The damage was done. Her eyes drifted back to Goliath crumpled on the floor, his wings draped around him like a funeral shroud. He was dead...dead and Demona was responsible. The female had meant to murder her and her unborn children. Goliath had stepped between them at the last second. The impact of Demona's momentum had barely jarred him. The only tell had been the grunt of pain and the trickle of blood that had dribbled down his chin. The dagger was embedded deep in his back between his wings.

Elisa's gaze drifted back toward the one responsible. Demona... The very thought of her fanned the embers of rage beyond the numb bubble of disbelief. The flames of Avalon's magic, ever present at the corners of her mind, surged into an inferno. The detective blinked, the bubble burst...

/

Goliath opened his eyes and his senses were suddenly assaulted with streamers of color, shattering sound and a wind that did not seem to touch him. Elisa, she was his first thought as his eyes searched for her in this chaotic place. He gasped when he found her, a glowing emerald of energy and life only a few feet from him. Curled around her middle was a band of golden light he thought must represent his twins. _What is this place?_ He wondered as he sat up.

Xander, a much older Xander, came barreling out of nowhere in an instant. The boy dropped to his knees beside him with a mixture of horror, grief and determination pinned to his young face. He did not seem to truly see the clan leader before him, however. Goliath thought it strange. He was sitting right before the boy. It struck him to glance down and a gasp was torn from him when he did.

Goliath took in the information and could not wrap his head around it for several long seconds. His body lay below him. His body. He was above it looking down. The streamers of color where settling the longer he was in this 'realm', he realized. They still seemed to cast a faint halo around everything, but the chaos was dying down. His mind struggled to comprehend what his other senses were telling him. He began to suspect that he was dead as the memories of his last moments on his feet flooded him. Demona, the dagger...and he had stepped between his mate and the deranged female's target.

Demona was not far from Elisa, still a threat as far as he was concerned. His eyes found her and he gasped at the sight. Red and black swirled around her. If he had to guess at their meaning, he would have to say those colors represented the anger swirling around her blackened soul. There were faint glimmers of blue, but they seemed more a lingering remnant of what she had once been. This place, whatever it was, seemed to be showing him the true nature of those around him.

After a moment, or an eternity, he could not be sure, he climbed to his feet. There was no pain. His body remained on the floor even as he stepped away from it. He must stop Elisa no matter the cost. Their children were the important thing now. He would protect them as fiercely as he protected their mother.

"Elisa, stop this..." his voice was barely more than a wisp of an echo. She did not hear him. He reached for her and his hands passed through her. It was then that it hit him. Dead, he was dead. His body lay a few feet away and he was not within it. He had given his life so that his mate and children might live.

Again and again he tried to reach his mate, but she could not hear him and he could not touch her. _How_, he wondered, _how did Hakon and Kurn manage to haunt me? That is the key to reaching her.__. _He knew it was a long shot, but he was out of options.

/

"You know, you really shouldn't challenge a gargoyle to a duel to the death in your current condition. It's bad for your health." Puck snarked in Elisa's ear as he froze her in place. He was shocked when she broke free of his spell in a matter of heartbeats. The backlash threw him several feet from her. He grumbled half to himself as he zipped back to her, "I can see this is going to be difficult."

The Puck tried several spells, many non-lethal entrapments in an effort to hold her. She managed to break through them all. He was rapidly running out of options. The last thing he wanted to do was enlist Titania or Oberon's assistance. He was risking the Lord of Avalon's wrath as it was. It was surprising that the King of the Fae had not yet punished him for his transgressions. Perhaps it was shock. Shock in seeing this incredibly powerful being he had let slip through his fingers manifesting herself in rage. That had to be it, he was sure. Once it wore off, Puck would have to answer to his lord.

/

Xander blinked. It had happened too fast. Demona launched herself into the air and impaled Goliath with the dagger she had meant to murder Elisa with. He had not seen this outcome. Goliath's part in history was not yet complete. He had stepped between Demona and her intended target to save his family. The gargoyle was meant to grab his mate and haul her out of harm's way. That was how each timeline had played this event out. Now the boy knew why he was to be so much older before returning to his own time. This was the event that required finer control of the magic that coursed through his veins. It was the one variable he could never calculate, never pin down and now it presented him with a challenge he was not sure he was up to.

Eyes darting between the pair, Xander realized his primary concern must be the gargoyle. Elisa was a big girl, she could take care of herself. At least that was his hope as he darted between stunned bodies and made his way to Goliath. There was still a chance to set things right and he had to take it. No price was too high to ensure Goliath fulfilled his role in history.

Elisa was cocooned deep within a well of energy. He had not illusions about reaching her now. Instead he turned his attention to Goliath's still form. The gargoyle's soul had not yet crossed over, he could feel the male's protective energy, still in the chapel. Perhaps the commitment ceremony had bound him to the human in the next life as well.

The dagger was embedded deep in the tough flesh between his wings. More than that, it had splintered a vertebra and pierced his heart. Xander was forced to tap his magic and increase his strength to free it. He cast it aside in disgust once it was released from Goliath's back. His full attention returned to the behemoth before him as soon as the blade was out of his hands.

"What are ye doin', lad?" Hudson asked suspiciously, his normal Scottish brogue thick with barely suppressed grief.

The boy shook his head grimly as he assessed the damage. "Goliath's soul hasn't departed. I think he's bound to Elisa more strongly than we ever thought." Xander looked up at Hudson, emerald eyes locking to charcoal. "I can use that bond, maybe bring him back."

"He's dead, lad…," there was shock and borderline horror in Hudson's tone.

"Not quite. The brain, human or gargoyle, remains active for hours after death. So…," Xander paused to consider what he was about to do. "in theory…"

"He's dead..." Hudson repeated in disbelief. "Let 'im rest, boy."

"In theory you should be able to regenerate that meat he calls a body and get him back on his feet." Puck chimed in as he landed with an ungraceful thump on his rump. The trickster was decidedly steaming.

"In theory, yes. Provided I don't create a zombie first." Xander snapped at his wayward uncle.

"Then I suggest you get to it. The sooner you start, the better the results." Puck snarked and turned his attention back to Elisa. "I'm gonna try to...contain..._that_."

"Good luck with that." Xander would have looked for the humor in it if he had not been staring at the cooling corpse of his favorite mentor. His adopted uncle, in essence.

"I think I'll need all of that I can get. She's stronger than I gave her credit for." Puck grumbled as he dove in once more in an effort to prevent Elisa from tearing Demona limb from limb. He had not expected Macbeth to be running interference, but he was.

_/_

_There are only so many ways this ends_, Macbeth raged silently as he watched the trickster attempting to control the raging woman. He would have let her go if he were in Puck's boots. She deserved the vengeance she sought. Then again, after glancing at her swollen belly, he might have thought better of it. He had not realized she was so heavily pregnant. Of course he had not seen her in more than a year. She had not been pregnant then. This was a recent thing and he knew the child must be Goliath's. That would explain why Demona had been so hell bent on killing her.

Putting a hand on Xander's shoulder, he nodded encouragement. The boy looked up, tears of frustration in his eyes and blood on his hands. It was clear the youth was attempting to save the gargoyle's life. From what he could tell, that ship might have already sailed. Goliath was gone or close enough. He doubted even Avalon's magic could bring him back from the brink now.

"Do what you can, lad. I'll see to Demona." Macbeth said gravely as he scooped up the discarded dagger and stepped away from the boy.

Giving Elisa a wide berth, he skirted around the edges of the power rolling off her in waves. He had resigned himself to what he must do. Flipping the dagger and testing its balance, he began moving with a singular determination. This was not how he wanted things to end. Part of him had hoped he might turn Demona from her path of destruction. Even in the face of all she had done, he had still hoped he might reach her heart. He knew the capacity for love held within the woman wrapped in gargoyle flesh. He had seen it in Paris after Avalon sent them there. Neither had known the other's true identity for a time and they had fallen in love. Surely something of that love still remained in her heart.

_If only there was more time..._. The thought was bittersweet. They were immortal. They had all the time in the world and yet, they did not. He would kill her this night, release them both by his own hand. It must be done or she and Elisa would tear each other apart. He knew who would remain standing after such a match. The child Elisa carried was far too precious for him to allow such a confrontation.

/

Oberon raised an eyebrow at the sudden commotion. _A mortal party that is not dull, how very interesting_, he mused. His musing turned to irritation the instant Elisa embraced the suppressed magic at her core. As her form shifted and phased into something more fitting an elemental, he tsked. He watched Puck's feeble attempts to control her for a few moments. He could not have her destroying half of Manhattan in a fit of rage. He raised a hand and uttered a single world. The woman froze in place.

"My but you are powerful." he murmured as he walked toward her. "To think I ever allowed you to leave Avalon's fair shores. A mistake I will soon rectify, to be sure."

"My lord, Oberon..." Puck popped up between the high elf and Maza. "Elisa Maza has a destiny to fulfill..."

"I am aware of her fate, Puck, but that fate is not yet written, nor is it engraved in stone, however ironic her choice in mates may be." Oberon said casually while those around him seemed to move in slow motion.

"Yes, but it's such a grand destiny. The mother of a goddess and all, you know..." Puck bubbled.

"I bind you to human form and still you meddle in mortal affairs. What am I to do with you, little trickster?" Oberon sighed and took great interest in picking his nails.

"Release the puck, my lord. Let me see this to the end." Puck said softly.

"No." Oberon said simply. "You will remain as you are. This...woman...will return to Avalon with Titania and myself..."

"But her unborn..." Puck began.

"Are of no consequence." Oberon stated blandly.

"My lord husband, you know the prophecies." Titania moved into the in-between realm her husband currently occupied.

"Yes, I know of them and while I have no desire to rule over a desolate wasteland..." he began and glared at his wife when she interrupted him.

"Then grant Puck some small taste of freedom. The child will require a good deal of training as Alexander has. Bind the puck to her fate, if you must. After all, she is as much his progeny as Goliath's. If not for his roll in her rebirth, the dragon goddess might have been lost eons ago."

Oberon looked his wife over in mild irritation then sighed. "Oh, very well, my lady. He may train her, but the mother is mine as soon as Dracona is born. I will not be denied this."

"As you wish, my lord." Titania spread her hands and bowed slightly to her husband. She knew her husband would not get this particular wish so soon. Dracona would need both her parents if the Redeemer was to emerge. For now, her attention was drawn to her grandson and the task he had taken up.

Titania watched her grandson feverishly working on the gargoyle's body. Oberon had decreed that they would remain neutral in this ceremony and the events surround it no matter what happened. That was until Maza had virtually blown a gasket. The Lord of Avalon himself had broken his own decree to control the woman, if only for a brief time. She could not abide by that decree in the face of the coming tragedy. Puck was right, Dracona must be born into the world in order to save it from those who would destroy it. She could sense the dragon goddess curled within the womb of Elisa Maza. If the woman was allowed to continue down her current path, both she and her children would perish this night. That could not be allowed to happen.

Her decision made, Titania added just enough of her own magic to Xander's efforts to regenerate Goliath's failing tissue. It was enough. The male's body was very nearly whole again in a matter of minutes through the combined efforts. All that remained was his soul. That she could not assist with. Oberon would sense it and his rage might well spell the end of everyone in the room. She could not allow that either.

/

Xander spread his hands over Goliath's chest and began feeding threads of healing energy into the massive gargoyle's body. There was a great deal of tissue damage to contend with. He realized the heart must be first. Blood must begin circulating again or there would be true brain death. He was not sure he could overcome that kind of damage. The boy worked as quickly as he could, pulling off tricks and ideas that he had barely begun to explore in theory. There was so much to repair and it seemed the instant he repaired one bit of torn tissues, something else went wrong. Tears of frustration began to drip onto his work, but he continued, pushing through one barrier after another. He refused to give up. Too much was riding on this single gargoyle's life.

Weaving raw energy around the spells he cast, Xander struggled to overcome nature and the slow progression of decay that had already begun. Without blood circulating to carry oxygen to vital organs, Goliath's body was slowly racing toward complete tissue failure. He knew what would happen if the sun rose and his work was not finished. Hours, he had hours yet before that might become a real issue. Time enough to do what must be done, or so he hoped.

"_Now_, Xander! I can't control her. Call him back…_now_!" Puck shouted no sooner than Elisa had broken free of Oberon's spell.

"Goliath, gargoyle born, thee we shall not mourn. The flesh is strong, the vessel doth wait. We call you now, rejoin your mate!" Xander's voice grew louder and stronger as he became more confident in the spell he wove.

The very air around him seemed to swirl with power as he and the prone gargoyle began to glow with Avalon's distinctive magic. A clap of thunder seemed to rattle the windows at the peak of the spell. The teen prayed it had worked. The last thing they needed was an undead version of Goliath awakening among them.

/

The pull toward his body was a curious sensation at first. It grew in intensity as Xander wove his spell. Goliath did not fight that pull. He wanted very much to return to the land of the living. Perhaps once more wrapped in his own flesh could he gain some control over his mate. He hoped only to prevent the tragedy that was playing out before his helpless eyes.

As the magic pulled at him, he followed. Settling himself back into the cold shell of his body felt like coating himself in slime. He endured it with thoughts of his mate and the life they hoped to build together. This was a small price to pay if it meant returning to her.

Goliath was not prepared for the crawling sensation that began to race across his entire body. When it turned to tingling pain, he fought to hold himself in place. He cried out when that pain became an intense electrical storm. It was like nothing he had felt before.

/

The gargoyle's body convulsed and sat bolt upright with an unholy scream. Goliath clutched his chest and gasped, the air searing his lungs. A second breath and he blinked. His eyes taking in the scene before him, his mind barely registering what had happened. He remembered pain, collapsing to the floor then darkness. There were snatches of images, wisps of memory of something after. His mind could not hold onto them long enough to be examined. He locked eyes with Xander and nodded reassuringly as he slowly climbed to his feet.

Turning toward the source of chaos in the room, his eyes fell on Elisa floating half a foot from the floor toward a half crazed Demona. His heart lurched painfully at the sight, the newly mended muscle tender. _How am I meant to stop...that?_ He wandered as he realized she was like a force of nature by this point.

"Only you can reach her now…," came Pucks pant as the Fae landed nearby gracelessly and weary. His very flesh was steaming as he had tried to touch the woman. It was clear he was only slowing her down with his efforts.

Goliath opened his mouth in shock. This was not the Elisa he knew. This was the being of magic who had hidden within her shell. Stricken by grief the being had been freed. _Or_, he thought, _perhaps this is her true nature revealing itself at last._ _She means to avenge my death_. Whatever the reason, he had to reach her. She must see him whole and alive.

A staggering step forward, then another, stronger and he made his way to her side. The wind blowing off her whipped his hair into his eyes. Even so, he managed to step between her and her intended target. Her gaze was hollow, unseeing as she glanced at him. Perhaps she saw only a ghost in his place. A specter come to haunt her. She continued forward, struggling against Puck's magical efforts, but unaffected by Goliath's presence.

"Elisa,…this is wrong. Come back to me…," his voice was barely more than a rough whisper. He was weak, the ordeal of death and resurrection having drained his body's natural reserves.

/

Elisa faltered in her course and glanced toward what she perceived as a shadow of her mate. Her form had become almost pure ethereal energy much like the beings legends merely whispered of. An instrument of revenge made flesh.

"This is a trick. Goliath is dead...he's dead..." Elisa's voice seemed to phase in and out as she spoke and her gaze refocused on her half crazed target.

"Hear me! See me! I have not yet left you, my love." Goliath took another staggering step toward her. "I do not wish to lose you or our children. This is not the way. You cannot kill her, you know this to be true."

"You're a ghost... I will have blood for blood." Elisa said far too calmly as she allowed her feet to touch the floor once more. She took a step toward the object of her hatred.

/

The thought forming in Goliath's mind turned to ash in his mouth before he could give it voice. Her words, the words Demona had once used, chilled him to his very soul. He was out of options. Puck's last attempt to touch Elisa had ended in the trickster nearly roasting. It would be far worse for him as he was mortal. He would risk death to reach her if he must. Death no longer held him in fear. He had glimpsed the other side and though the images were vague, he knew he would linger at his beloved's side, bound heart and soul to her by the blood of the dragon.

As a last act of desperation, he reached for her. He heard Xander's frantic shout not to touch her, but he ignored it. If this was what it took to reach her, then so be it. He would sacrifice himself to save her and their children from the fate she was so clearly advancing toward. No matter what his beloved did to Demona, the female would recover and she would tear his mate apart the first chance she got. If Elisa was allowed to accomplish her current goals, she would die. That would mean the loss of their children with her. Their lives and the life of their mother were more than worth his sacrifice.

"Elisa, please..." he pleaded with her as he reached for her. She did not seem to notice. In her eyes, he was little more than a shade.

The contact with her flesh, when he made it, seared his palms. He bit back the growl that wanted to rip itself from his still tender lungs. His grip on her arm tightened and the power radiating off her enveloped him. He did not know how much of it he could stand before it tore him apart.

/

Peter Maza watched his daughter with growing dread as she shifted. He had hoped to never see such a legend take human form. The tribal elders had only spoken of such things in hushed whispers. Now he bore witness to it first hand. Then he saw Goliath rise from the floor at a young boy's hands. He did not know how, nor did he care, he only hoped the gargoyle could reach his daughter before she was lost to them all. He could almost hear the gears of destiny grinding on the events of this night.

It was in those moments he knew the truth of his family's lineage. Coyote truly was his father, her grandfather. He closed his eyes in resignation. This must be kept from the elders. They would not understand. If they did, they might demand more than either of them could provide. He only hoped Elisa learned to control that raging power within her.

/

The shade touched her, he _touched_ her and her gaze snapped around toward him. Her eyes locked to his and she released the searing energy she meant to destroy Demona with. As suddenly as it had come, it was gone. She nearly collapsed and he was there to catch her as he had always promised he would be.

"Goliath...?" she whispered, still not believing he was truly standing before her. At his nod, the wind began to recede as the glow faded to the barest rim around her irises in recognition. She stepped toward him as her feet gained full contact with the flagstone floor. Her body solidifying as she drew nearer. She reached out an energy phasing hand to touch him and hesitated.

"Prophecy surrounds that mongrel brat you carry! It is destined to destroy the world!" Demona all but howled suddenly as she broke away from Brooklyn and Broadway in a moment of desperate strength.

Elisa's gaze snapped back toward the female, her eyes flashing with energy once more. Her hand shot up toward the woman and a wave of green energy enveloped the other. "Sleep…forget…," the human's voice was hollow. Just as suddenly the energy abandoned Elisa. She and Demona both collapsed in unison.

Goliath caught his mate and cradled her unconscious form to his chest. Solid, normal human flesh rested against him. He wrapped his wings around them both and held her tightly. The close calls and near losses never seemed to cease. This night had been far worse than many others he could name. He let out a shuddering breath as he ran one hand over her hair as he held her close.

Puck, his disguise and invisibility spell forgotten, floated up to the gargoyle and eyed the human woman with obvious concern. "I always knew there was something interesting about this one. I never guessed at the magnitude of her strength." he glanced up at Goliath, the mirth returning to his ageless face, "I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into, gargoyle. That's one hell of a temper your wife has."

Goliath glared at the irritating trickster. There was something more in the Fae's eyes as he peered down at the human; apprehension. Perhaps he feared what she might become if she ever learned to control the power that was hidden within her. Glancing down at her protected in his arms, he too wandered what she might become if pushed too far.

/

Demona had moved nearly within reach of Macbeth when she broke free of Brooklyn and Broadway. Dropping the dagger, he made a grab for her when she fell. He told himself it was to prevent the knock to the head and the pain that would follow should she hit the floor. It was a lie and he knew it to be so. Part of him wanted simply to hold her in his arms one last time. He was still considering ending it between them, ending their long lives with that golden dagger now at his feet. It would be so easy with her unconscious in his arms. As the idea was rejected, he realized that he was still conscious even though she was not. This was not the first time such a thing had happened, but it still gave him cause to wonder. He knew the link between them was strong as ever. In his mind, he should be asleep as well. Of course, it was a magically induced sleep. He wondered how long it might last. Hot on the heels of that thought came another. Elisa had commanded her to forget. _How much might she forget? Will she lose this entire night or might she lose the knowledge of Elisa's pregnancy as well?_ He would have asked the woman if she were not unconscious herself.

Swinging Demona up into his arms, he realized it did not matter. She was his responsibility and he meant to take charge of her. He would not allow her to jeopardize Goliath and Elisa's happiness or their lives again. Until she saw reason, he meant to keep her contained within his home. There was little else he could do. He found he did not have the heart..._or was it the courage?_...to remove them both from the game. Not yet, at least.

Kicking the dagger under one of the pews, he headed for the door with his charge. Best if he left before anyone noticed. Better if he caged Demona before she awoke. He hated the idea of caging her, but she would surely turn on him next if he did not. She was utterly mad. He hoped to reach her rational mind soon. Perhaps snap her back to the intellectual he knew was hiding away within that fractured mind of hers. Time, it would take time, but what more did they have? He loved her as fiercely as Goliath loved Elisa. Giving up on her was not in him to do.

/

Elisa awoke with a start alone in the chambers she and Goliath shared. She looked around wildly and found the room devoid of any but herself. Even the cat was missing. She sat up, hands on her distended belly and let out a stuttering sob. Memory flooded her in bits and pieces. He was dead. Demona had murdered him on their wedding night. The female had pierced his great heart with the sacrificial dagger she had meant to murder the unborn twins with.

Glancing around through her tears, she could not remember how she came to be in this room. Nor could she remember what had happened after Goliath collapsed before her. What stood out most in her mind was the blood running down his chin from the corner of his mouth. His final words to her and the sudden weakness that had caused him to stagger and collapse. The sight of the dagger that was buried to the hilt in his back between his wings as she had tried to prevent him from rolling over on it. All those things were clear in her mind. They would chase her to the grave, she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

There were fragments, echoes of images and sound after, but none made sense. She could not trust them. Some of them told a wholly different tale. In those fleeting images, she saw Goliath standing between her and Demona. She knew that could not be true. He was dead. She had witnessed his death at the deranged female's hands. There was little hope for a happy life left in her heart.

Finally, able to stand the isolation and her swirling thoughts no longer, Elisa dressed and left the room. She paid little heed to where her feet carried her and soon found herself climbing the stairs to Goliath's tower. His stone form would not be there. Wherever the clan had put his body last night, there would be only dust in its place now. There was nothing more to do for him. His wind ceremony would be conducted at sunset when the others woke for the evening.

Topping the last step and pushing the trapdoor open, Elisa stepped out into the bright morning sun. She shielded her eyes and allowed them to adjust as she moved toward his perch. The instant she looked up a gasp escaped her and she rushed forward. Her hands came into contact with solid stone, _his_ stone. He sat in his thinker pose, a thoughtful expression on his face. She thought her heart might burst with the knowledge that he still lived.

With a jolt, the memories of the night before locked in place. She reeled at the onslaught. _What am I? Oh god, I could have killed everybody in the chapel_. Her shocked mind explored each and every image that had been unlocked so suddenly with the sight of him. The magic licking at the edges of her mind was so much easier to grasp now. It was more like dipping her hands into water. Surrendering to it did not feel so much like sacrificing her will at this point. In some ways, it nearly scared the life out of her. In others, she began to wonder at the potential.

/

Goliath awoke with his customary roar and yawned. He had not expected to find Elisa waiting for him. She was a vision of his hopes for the future. Stepping down from his perch, he reached for her, one hand going to her rounded belly, the other cupping her cheek. She slipped past his hands and dove straight into his chest with a half sob. He thought perhaps she had little memory of his resurrection the night before. There was no telling the horrors she must have awakened to before she made her way up to his perch.

"Have you been here the entire day?" he asked softly.

Elisa nodded as she looked up at him, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She leaned into his hand when he brushed the tear away, capturing his hand against her face. He could see the emotions wreaking havoc across her features as she closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. It was clear to him that she had stayed to make sure he did not suddenly melt away into so much dust. Fear and anxiety had held her rooted. Those were things that his Elisa normally had so well controlled.

_Hormones_, he thought and smiled down at her tenderly. His voice was a low rumble when he spoke. The last of his statement ending on a faint chuckle. "I have weathered many of Demona's temper tantrums, my love. I am still here. She means to break her will against old stone."

"Not so old..." Elisa breathed as she ran a hand over the expanse of his powerful chest until she found the triplicate pulsing of his heart. Three beats in quick succession where a human heart beat twice. She knew a gargoyle heart held two extra chambers to accommodate wings and tails.

"Old enough to know when my mate requires food. You have not eaten." Goliath grumbled at her faintly.

Her eyes slowly rolled open and locked with his. She smiled tiredly at him then. "I couldn't leave. No one knows where Demona or Macbeth are. They could be plotting to murder us both..."

"Still, that is no excuse, my love. You must eat something and soon." he paused and dipped down to capture her lips briefly. "I can hear your stomach growling."

That drew a short chuckle from her as she reach up and gently flicked one of his ears. "I should have guessed you'd hear that with these great big dumbo ears."

Goliath snorted with a smile as he shook his head slightly. His ears were sensitive, all gargoyle ears were. If anyone else had touched his ear, he might have frightened the hell out of them just because he could. His Elisa got away with much. Grumbling fiercely, he took her hand and began to lead her toward the trapdoor. "Food, now..."

/

Puck watched them from the shadows. _Soon, very soon now_. He thought wryly. Elisa would need to take gargoyle form very soon. Her time was nearer than he had thought. He was almost certain she would clutch within the next couple of nights. She should be in gargoyle form for that. It would be easier on her body that way. Better survival chances and all. He would push the subject later. Oberon might wish to see her perish along with her children after last night's show, but not Puck. He wanted them alive. Dracon, he needed her healthy and alive with a pair of loving parents in order to accomplish his goals. If Elisa died in childbirth, he could not be sure the Redeemer would emerge from the shattered family. After all, Goliath did not have the most stellar record for raising young alone. He had left the clans eggs to the care of 'foster parents' while he took a thousand year stone nap. The male was not without his fatal flaws. He wondered how that might have gone if Elisa had been a part of his life then. Somehow, he thought she might have persuaded Goliath to rise to the challenge. Once he had free control of his magic again, he thought he might visit that particular scenario. After all, there were alternate universes ripe for the picking.

/

And so begins Season Three. Wow, this has been a roller coaster ride and a half. To think it's not finished yet. The birth of the twins is eminent. The Winds of Change are ebbing and flowing...


	2. Chapter 2

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Rosebud1773.

**Winds of Change: Season Three**

**Chapter Two**

John Castaway strolled along the catwalk of the former warehouse. He scanned the masses of hooded figures below. Men and women of like minds, all loyal to the cause. Quarrymen he had named them. The hammers of justice. They would carry out his orders without question. Each hammer was empowered with a charge of electricity in the hopes of smashing even one gargoyle. That was their lot in life, the calling of each and every individual present. The gargoyles and the danger they presented to humanity were the reasons his organization had amassed so many in such a short time. The end of the gargoyle menace was close at hand, he could almost taste it.

Stopping as close to the center of the catwalk as he could, Castaway rested his gloved hands on the railing and scanned his army. _My army_, he mused with a smile twisting his features. He liked the sound of that. His elite forces were all hand picked. The best of the best. They would accomplish what the Hunter had failed to do. His organization would pick the gargoyles off one by one if they must. Once they eradicated the vermin from New York, they would expand across the nation. If there were others, they would find them. He anticipated global eradication of the gargoyle infestation inside of five years. That was an estimate he barely tolerated, but he knew he must allow his army time to sweep out every corner of the world. To his mind, Goliath and his ilk were aliens, dangerous aliens. They were a threat that must be neutralized. The sooner, the better.

The police captain and her gargoyle companion crossed his mind briefly. An oversight, a rushed operation tossed together by an under trained unit. That failure still rubbed him the wrong way. He had been nearby when the coup was set into motion. The moment he realized Maza was present, he had taken charge. The hope had been to take out Goliath, but any of the Manhattan clan would due. If the red one had not interfered the old one would surely be dead by now. From the amount of blood he left on the tile, the Quarrymen leader was not certain the beast had actually made it to sunrise. There was a very good chance the gargoyle population was down by one. Of course, the only way to really confirm that was to smash them while they slept.

It was time. The doors closed and sealed those gathered in. Each of them would leave here tonight prepared to deal with the gargoyle menace. Hammers would be distributed. Hoods would be exchanged for helmets. The money that had been collected over the last couple of years was put to good use. Each member would receive upgrades to their gear. In addition, the officers were to receive body armor. That armor might very well put the police department's riot gear to shame.

"Quarrymen..." he called, his voice ringing with authority. "We gather tonight to plan our next steps. Eradicating the gargoyle threat is not enough. We must hit those who would support them, defend them and defile our very race with them. There are those in the world who would willing take these monsters to their beds. This is an atrocity that must be stopped. Gargoyles are unnatural creatures, alien to our world. They must be driven out into the open and destroyed. No mercy, no quarter!"

Castaway took a deep breath with a satisfied smile as those below him echoed his last statement. These were his followers. They would follow him to the ends of the earth. If he should fall or fail in his task, there were a dozen others who would take up the mantel of his leadership and continue his work. Already there were factions building across the globe to do just that. The gargoyles would not know what hit them.

/

The pendant rested on his breastbone, an unfamiliar weight and yet utterly forgotten in the brilliance that nearly blinded him. Goliath took a deep breath as he shielded his eyes from the rising sun. It was even more glorious than he remembered. Perhaps that was due to the fact that he was not now enthralled by the Eye of Odin. The sun amulet granted him this gift instead. Puck claimed to have acquired a copy of one of the Guatemalan clan's pendants. It was clearly a copy of Obsidiana's pendant due to it's color. It worried him that it might not be a copy, but the original. If that were the case, it would be returned to her as soon as possible. The alternative did not bare thinking.

After insisting on an answer, Puck confirmed that Titania herself had produced the copy. She had a vested interested in his clan, after all. Now that Xander was older, she felt he needed even more protection than before. The boy had a knack for getting into trouble. Then there were the twins eminent birth. He would want to be present for that. Given their nature, they could very well be born during his stone sleep cycle. Protecting them would rise higher on his list of self-imposed duties than simply patrolling the Manhattan skylines. Elisa's safety was already at the top of his list.

"By the dragon..." Goliath breathed as the glare settled into something more tolerable to his senses. "I never dreamed it would be so beautiful."

"The pendant is yours, my giant purple friend...for my price, or course." Puck snarked.

Goliath grumbled at him as he cast his gaze toward the annoying Fae. "You already have my oath. Did you honestly believe I would not vow to protect my youngest daughter with my last breath?"

"Well..." Puck spread his hands with a lopsided smile.

"You clearly do not know the gargoyle way. A child of the clan will be protected by the clan at all costs." Goliath rumbled.

"Yes, but this is not just any child of your clan. She's your child and she is the embodiment of Dracona." Puck continued.

"Make your point, Puck. I grow tired of your riddles." Goliath growled.

"You retain the pendant, use it as you will and Dracona, or whatever your mate decides to name her, gains your protection...no matter what it takes. The child must come to maturity...with both parents intact. That means no unnecessary risks." Puck whittled around the point until he saw the frustration building in the gargoyle's eyes.

"I do not take unnecessary risks." Goliath snorted.

"Oh really? I could name off...well... Let's just say, I could name a few. The latest, you know, where you died... at Demona's hands. That's the kind of risk to avoid for awhile." Puck poked at the tender place in his back.

"Very well, you have my word. I will avoid risks such as the last..." Goliath glared at him and lowered his face until there were bare inches between them. "on one condition..."

"The bargain is mine to make, gruesome." Puck began.

"And mine to keep. _You_ will not harm Elisa...no matter how dangerous she may become..." Goliath was loathed to admit that his mate might well become a danger to all she held dear.

"Fine, but I cannot interfere if Titania or Oberon decide to bind her." Puck finally agreed.

"Agreed." Goliath sighed heavily. He knew there was a very good chance the lord or lady of Avalon might well take it upon themselves to bind his mate's power. He hoped they would allow her to remain in the mortal world if they did. Otherwise, he would be forced to follow. That would leave his charges unprotected.

Toying with the pendant, he cast his gaze back to the horizon. The sun was climbing higher and it was warmer than he ever imagined it might be. A faint smile curled his lips despite the company he currently kept. This was worth the bargain he had just struck. Sharing Elisa's daylight world, at least for a time, was well worth the annoyance of dealing with the trickster and his whims. At least the Fae had not asked more of him than he had already sworn. His clan, his family. Elisa and the children she would soon bring into the world. He had already sworn to give his life to protect them if he must. There was nothing he would not do to protect them. Puck knew nothing if he did not know that.

/

Elisa stretched when she heard the door open and close softly. It could not be sunset already. She felt as if she had only just crawled into bed. When the bed dipped with the heavy weight of her mate, she knew it must be. He curled himself around her and let out a sigh of contentment. It was then that she realized something was off. She slit an eye open and the sight took her brain a full three minutes to register.

Sunlight... There was sunlight pouring in through the slightly parted drapes and Goliath was curled around her. Goliath, warm, hard muscle, leathery flesh. He was there and he was not stone. The shock of it forced her into a sitting position and she pressed a hand into the meat of his shoulder to confirm that she was not dreaming.

"Wait a minute... I must be dreaming. This just isn't possible." she muttered.

Goliath chuckled and simply hooked his talon into the chain around his neck. He brought it up between them with the pendant dangling from it. After a few seconds, he allowed it to drop back onto his broad chest. His words, when he spoke, sounded drowsy and drawn out. "Come...I wish to protect you through the day."

Elisa eyed the pendant suspiciously, her keen mind churning up images and memories of when she had last seen one like it. Then it struck her and she reached out to touch it; Guatemala. The Sundial the Mayans had left their clan of gargoyles to ensure the rain forest's safety. Bronx had been the first of the Manhattan clan to discover the affects of the pendants. This one looked like Obsidiana's pendant, the same that Bronx had carried between his jaws for a time. She knew it could not be. The female would not part with it easily.

"Where did you get this, Goliath?" she could not contain her curiosity.

"Puck..." he mumbled simply and reached for her.

Elisa fended off his limply groping talons with a mild snort of anger. "Why did Puck have one of the Sundial pendants? Who did he take it from?"

"Titania created a copy of Obsidiana's pendant in return for the clan's continued protection of her grandson. Puck requested that I protect Dracona..." he sighed.

"I'm not naming her that." Elisa grumbled.

"He did not know I had already taken such an oath. She is our daughter. I will protect our family, our clan, with my last breath. You know this to be true, my love." Goliath placed a large hand over her swollen belly with a slightly more alert look on his face. "If I should fall, the others will take up that duty."

It was enough. It had to be. Elisa nodded and curled into his arms. He had sheltered her in his arms and wings many times in the night. This was the first time he had sheltered her in the light of day. She thought she might grow to like that too much if he did so too regularly. The price of his gift of daylight seemed reasonable. After all, they were oaths he had already sworn.

/

Macbeth screamed with Demona as her transformation took her. It always felt like hellfire racing through his nervous system this close to her. Four years now, he did not know how she managed it twice a day. Puck truly had a cruel sense of humor as well as justice. He knew the trickster had left the pain in the equation to remind her of something, but she had never told him what. He thought he might get that answer from her eventually.

When it was over, she caped her wings and stepped up to the bars. Her hands wrapped loosely around them. She was angry, but the blazing red in her eyes had long since faded. Her voice was cold when she spoke. "Do you mean to keep me here for all of eternity?"

"No, Demona. I intend to keep you here until you see reason." Macbeth said, carefully crossing his arms.

"That thing Maza carries will destroy us all, humanity and gargoyle kind alike. Ending it is the only way to save my kind." Demona pleaded.

"And why should I believe you? You would like nothing better than to kill every last human on Earth. What difference does it make how?" Macbeth asked her.

"Not like this, Macbeth. That abomination will kill us all. The world will become an empty tomb for both our races." Demona gripped the bars a little tighter and leaned forward in an effort to force eye contact with him. "Let me go. I'll destroy it before it destroys us."

"By killing the babe's mother? I think not, Demona." Macbeth shook his head in disgust.

"Fine." Demona growled and pushed herself back from the bars, arms crossing. "How would you handle it?"

"It's not up to me. That child is an innocent no matter its species. Do you even know for certain the babe is Goliath's? Could Elisa simply have gone to a friend or a clinic in order to have a child to raise with her mate?"

Demona seemed to consider that for a moment. It was clear she was giving it serious thought before shaking her head. Grudgingly she admitted, "It is possible. Still, that does not dispel what I have seen with my own eyes."

Macbeth nodded with a sigh, "I think I understand now... Unless I miss my guess, you saw them together one night. You think by murdering the lass and her unborn babe, that you can destroy the images that plague you."

Demona nearly spat it at him as she suddenly pressed her face against the bars of the cage he had locked her in. "I saw their mating flight! They flaunted it in my face, flashed me with their unnatural connection! I wanted to vomit in revolution. It is no coincidence that Maza is now with child. If it was even remotely possible to impregnate his human whore, Goliath has surely found a way."

Macbeth gave her words serious thought before tossing the idea out the window. He was fairly certain the genetic differences between the two species would prevent conception of a halfling. He would not stand aside and allow Demona to murder a pregnant woman based on a wild theory. There was no hope of redemption after something like that. Even the knowledge of what she intended sickened him. He almost hoped it would diminish the love he felt for her. It did not, but he knew he would hold himself apart from her for eternity if she managed to complete that particular goal. He told himself she could not do it. She was safely ensconced in the gilded cage he painstakingly crafted for her. She had everything she could want in the upper level of his home. _Everything, but freedom_, he reminded himself sadly. There were bars on every possible escape route, windows, doors, everything he could think of. The walls were three feet of Scottish stone. His current home was a virtual fortress. She was going nowhere.

"What makes you think this wee babe will be so dangerous?" he finally asked as he maintained his distance from her.

"You're a fool Macbeth! Have you done nothing with your time? I have filled mine with research and study." Demona paused in thought and added a seductive quality to her voice. "I would gladly show you my vault, filled with all the knowledge I have collected over the centuries..."

"If I release you..." Macbeth finished with a negative shake of his head. "You know I cannot do that."

"If you ever loved me, you'll release me. Let me do what must be done for the good of us all." Demona whispered.

"'tis _because_ I love you that you're still breathin',...that we're _both_ still breathin'..." Macbeth said quietly as he turned to leave.

"There's a prophecy... The abomination, the..._child_...Maza carries... If it's Goliath's, he has unknowingly sired a god of destruction. Find out if it's human or not. That's all I ask." Demona called after him. Her voice grew soft on her final words.

"Fine..." he sighed so softly he doubted she heard him. He wished for the hundredth time that Demona had, in fact, forgotten the events leading up to the commitment ceremony. It seemed Elisa had only wiped Goliath's death and resurrection from her mind. Perhaps it was inexpertly done. She might have meant to erase even the knowledge of the pregnancy. It would have been better if she had.

/

Xander stood on the parapets near the parapets of Goliath's tower, waiting. He was watching for Demona. There were a number of ways the timeline could branch off. He had seen a good many of them first-hand. Some good, some bad and some so utterly unspeakable that he prayed they never came to pass. This was the night. The twins were coming tonight no matter what else happened. So he stood vigil in the deepening night. Demona would make an appearance or she would not. He prayed she did not. In those timelines where she did appear, she almost always managed to end Elisa's life along with her twins. He had watched helplessly in each of those while Goliath went mad with grief. The gargoyle was formidable at his best, but insanity nearly tripled his strength. In a few, he nearly brought the Eyrie build down single-handedly. Those were possible timelines that Xander did not wish to see come to pass. And so he stood vigil and he watched.

When he saw Goliath's massive form racing toward the castle, he knew it was time. The gargoyle carried Elisa and her screams of pain could be heard for blocks away. They had been out and he knew her labor had interrupted whatever it was they had been doing while on the wing. He chuckled faintly when he heard Elisa proclaim her intentions colorfully.

"_Oh god_! _I'm gonna rip it off and tie it around your neck_! _**You**_ _did this to me_!" Elisa was half screaming, half growling. Goliath landed in the courtyard with a heavy thump and stepped into a near run for the castle interior.

Xander did not follow. He did not need to. The entire building was alerted to her cries of labor. It would not be long now. He only hoped both children survived. The teen had seen a few branches where the boy was stillborn. Others he had seen, the boy lived minutes only. There were few in which the boy survived and the girl did not. In only one case, he had seen them both survive this night.

Keeping his vigil, he continued to watch the night skies. In several branches Demona had escaped Macbeth. Sometimes she simply murdered Elisa. A few times, she murdered the twins mere hours after their birth. In two branches, she waited until dawn and shattered Goliath before murdering his children. He had seen a couple of branches where she did not show up at all. He hoped for one of those now. They did not need her here. If she did show her face, he would vaporize her. It might take the better part of a decade for the immortality spell to pull her molecules back together.

/

Dr. Sato heard them coming from down the hall. It was time. From the cries of pain, Elisa was clearly in labor. Xander had already warned him that she would be human when she delivered the twins. He still did not know what to expect with the soft shells that encased the twins. According to the last ultrasound, the children were nearly full term. He had begun to think this might be a live birth after all. The shells might tear away in their soft state. Then again, he could be looking at delivering his first soft reptilian eggs from a human host. Either way, he found it exciting and frightening at the same time. So many things could go wrong. There had never been a hybrid birth of this nature. He had nothing to compare this with.

When Goliath rushed in, Elisa in his arms, the doctor directed him toward one of the private rooms near the back of the clinic. He rushed along behind them, snatching up gloves and instruments along the way. There was no telling exactly what it he might need. The thing that concerned him the most was her current form. Elisa had not returned to gargoyle form as Puck had suggested. There was no time now. It was clear she would not be able to concentrate on transforming. She would deliver those soft eggs in her natural form. There was nothing for it.

/

Puck popped in to 'watch the show' and assist where he could. He kept himself cloaked from mortal eyes. Better that they did not know he was there. This was the moment he had lived for. It was this moment that defined who and what he was. His entire purpose was centered around that one small child Maza was about to give birth to. Dracona, or whatever the mortal decided to call her daughter. The Dragon Goddess, the Redeemer, the Savior of Worlds, was about to be reborn. He had done his part, the purpose he had been called into existence for. The child would need guidance as she grew. That was the reason for his continued part in these events. There simply was no one else who could guide her magically.

His attention returned abruptly to the mortals when Elisa screamed. It was time for him to assist. Xander had said he would know when. This was clearly what he meant. The woman was struggling, her screams piercing now as the doctor worked to help her with the first child. It was clear there was a problem. The child was stuck, it's cranial ridges wedged. The risk of tearing the soft shell was a real danger now as much as injuring the mother.

Puck could not transform her, but he could alter the structure of her pelvic bones just a fraction. It might do some damage, but it would not kill her. The doctor could perform damage control after the fact. He knew what he did now might mean she never had more children. The price was high, but he thought she might gladly pay it in order to have two living, healthy half-breed children.

Concentrating on the dense structure, he sent just a trickle of magic into her body. He knew she would have sensed it under normal circumstances. Now her entire focus was delivering her children. The structure of her pelvis shifted a fraction, the opening widening just enough for the first soft shell covered child to slip free. The second followed immediately dragging some odd tissue with it. As soon as they were free of her body, Puck reversed what he had done to her skeletal structure. For good or ill, it was done.

/

Goliath wasted no time. As soon as the doctor transferred the eggs to the waiting bassinet, he delicately set the eggs up on their wider bases. If they hardened, they needed to do so upright. They were small, smaller than any gargoyle eggs had a right to be. He recalled the images of newborn human babies he had seen. These eggs were not much larger. He thought perhaps they would not remain shelled for long after all. Days or a week at most. As he held them carefully in place, he could feel the moment inside each. The shells were hardening, but he could already tell they were brittle. Thin shells would not survive until their first sunrise. He clamped his jaw shut and held his tongue. Those thoughts would not be allowed to dominate him. These were his children, the first new eggs the clan had seen in a thousand years and he would not let them go so easily.

/

Puck watched with growing interest. The shells were hardening, thin though they were. More like a chicken egg than a gargoyle's. It seemed the human body could not produce enough calcium to make thicker shells. He had been correct in his earlier assumptions, however. There would be no more children for Elisa. The doctor was working on 'damage control' now. True, she was Fae, but so long as she held herself to humanity's standards, she would suffer as a human. He suspected she would hold that notion most, if not all of her long life. There was a very good chance she might outlive Goliath given her own hybrid nature. Only time would tell there.

The eggs were his focal point. One was spotted with faint blue and the other flushed into deeper tones nearer to purple. The size of the spots was another factor he paid close attention to as well. The blue had smaller, slightly more oval spots while the purple had large round spots. The purple spotted egg was the female. That one was the all important hatchling he had been waiting for. The boy was of no consequence to him. He was simply a byproduct. There could be a great deal of potential there as well, however. Puck was, after all, an opportunist.

/

Hours passed as he stood vigil over the eggs. Sato had wheeled Elisa off to surgery and left him to watch over them. The shells were fully hardened now with the texture of a chicken's egg. It worried him deeply. Heavy as they were bound to be, they would not be able to be moved into the rookery. They might shatter and kill the children inside. He would not risk that. For their safety, and his peace of mind, they would remain in the clinic.

A gasp of pure dread rushed out of him when the first cracks appeared on the blue spotted egg. It rocked slightly as the child within moved. It was too soon. It must be. Elisa had only just clutched them. Delicately, he tried to stop the rocking by placing his large hands around it. The egg continued to rock until it was clear that it was going to hatch. The other egg began to mimic its twin in a matter of moments.

"I'd say...you're about to be a proud papa..." Puck snarked as he materialized right next to the lavender behemoth's ear.

"What do you know of this? Should they be hatching so soon?" there was an edge of panic in Goliath's voice.

"Well, you did breed with a human/Fae hybrid, you know. Now you have a pair of...interesting specimens before you. You figure it out." Puck chuckled.

The blue spotted shell suddenly seemed to explode and a decidedly human looking infant rolled onto his side, wings tucked close to his back, tail whipping as he let out a distinctively human cry. There were a good many gargoyle traits to be seen upon closer inspection. His feet, four toed instead of three with high arches and his hands, four figured with tiny talons on each digit. Brow spurs and slightly pointed ears added to those features. His coloring, however, was not human. He was nearer his father in tone complete with indigo wings. The boy's coloring was, perhaps more pink than lavender and blotchy. It would even out in a few weeks.

The second egg went much like the first. The girl that rolled out of that shell seemed to match the color of Elisa's gargoyle form perfectly. Her wings were curled tightly around her body and for an instant, Goliath could have sworn he saw a faint blue glow shimmer around her. Both children cried from the sudden cold and hunger combined. Goliath did the only thing he could think to do, he grabbed the blanket off the nearest bed and carefully tucked each child into it. The second he bundled them together in the crook of his arm, they grew quieter. He eased himself down into a kneeling position, his attention completely on those two tiny halflings.

/

That was how Dr. Sato found the giant gargoyle when he stepped out of the recovery room he had wheeled Elisa into. If he had had a camera, he would have frozen that moment forever. The babies were tiny, as twins tend to be, but in the crook of their father's arm, they seemed even tinier. He had not expected the eggs to hatch so quickly, but then who could say with hybrids of their nature what was normal. Still, he knew he should examine them. Make sure they were healthy with all the required parts to sustain life present. He did not think he would be able to pry them out of the big gargoyle's arms, however. The male seemed absolutely taken with them as he allowed each of them to grip a finger of his free hand. There was an odd kind of smile on his face as he gazed down at them. Something the doctor had never seen on this particular gargoyle's face. He seemed peaceful for once, relaxed. It was the look he had seen on many a new human father's face.

"I see they've hatched. Much sooner than expected. How many fingers and toes then?" Sato wanted to kick himself for interrupted such a touching moment.

"Where's a camera when you need one?" Puck asked suddenly as he wiped away a fake tear. "Here, have a Kodak moment!"

A framed photo popped into being before the doctor and he snatched it out of the air before it could fall to the floor. He had to laugh. It seemed Puck had similar ideas and the magical skill to produce the results. He was decidedly getting used to the magic that seemed to follow this clan of gargoyles around. As a matter of fact, he was getting used to the gargoyles themselves. That was no small feat.

"Alright, I'll admit I would like to have had a camera a few seconds ago. Thanks. I think Elisa will want a copy of this." Sato said as he waved the photo at the trickster.

Goliath glanced up, the smile still pinned to his face even as he heard the doctor's comment. He knew Elisa had been in good hands. She would recover with the doctor's help. Still, he could not help but ask. He would not be a good mate if he did not. "How is Elisa? May I see her?"

"She's surprisingly awake. She'll be fine, but...Goliath...there...uh.." Sato was finding it difficult to find gentle words so he just blurted it out after a moment. "There won't be any more children. I'm sorry."

"I see." Goliath said slowly before his logic kicked in once more. "Our family is complete. I would not ask this of her again even if she could. It is much too difficult, the risks...are too great."

"In any case, she's waiting to see you. I suppose they're hungry. You should take them with you. She'll need to feed them soon." Sato pointed out. He cringed inwardly when the gargoyle stood. His tiny burdens seemed dangerously high up in the crook of his arm. When the huge bicep of that arm flexed faintly, the doctor relaxed. He could see that it would take an act of the creator himself to pry those tiny babies out of the gargoyle's grasp.

Goliath nodded to the doctor and took his leave of him. His tiny cargo nestled against each other and snuggled into his chest as he put his giant hand over their chests. _So very tiny. I fear I shall break them if I move them about too much._ He thought with a slight edge of anxiety.

/

Elisa was doped up to the gills when Goliath came strolling into her room. She did not miss the blanket trailing down from his arms nearly to his knees. _Eggs, I laid eggs. I'll never look at a chicken egg the same way again_. Her thoughts were almost drunk as she watched him come closer. She was propped up into an almost reclining position, but her head rested limply on the pillow behind her. There was no pain, thankfully. Her body had been through hell. She knew that without the drugs on board, she would be in a world of hurt.

Watching him closely, Elisa finally realized what it was that Goliath was carrying. She gasped and shifted when he very carefully knelt beside her bed. It took him a moment to disentangle them from each other and the blanket. His grip on them was decidedly delicate as he shifted the caramel colored infant into her waiting arms.

Taking a quick peek, Elisa confirmed her suspicions. This one was the girl. Goliath still held the boy. She glanced up at him as he stood once more and smiled. He was doting on the infant as she had imagined he might. Nothing else seemed to exist for him save that tiny baby in the crook of his arm. She knew then that she would have no trouble from him regarding gargoyle tradition. Even Hudson might not be able to pry that boy from his arms. She suspected he would be much the same with the girl once fed.

_Ok, this should be fun. I know the basics. Let's see how this goes_. Elisa thought as she exposed herself and attempted to feed her daughter. She hissed in pain at the sudden suction and Goliath knelt once more. A look of concern clouding his eyes. She shook her head to indicate nothing was really wrong as the child took her fill.

Once the girl was clearly finished, Goliath carefully retrieved her and handed his mate their son. He took up the same finger play with their daughter as he had with their son. The gargoyle seemed utterly fascinated with the newborns.

"They need names..." Elisa sighed tiredly when both babies were well fed. They had not discussed names throughout the pregnancy for fear it might jinx the whole thing.

"Yes...," Goliath drew the word out, but did not offer any further opinion.

"I was thinking we'd name our daughter Lilith. It seems fitting given the prophecies Puck keeps babbling about." Elisa stated.

"Are you certain, my love? The name seems somewhat...ominous." Goliath said softly.

"So does the Dracona Cycle. Have you read those prophecies? God, some of them scare the hell out of me." Elisa sighed in exasperation with the last part of her statement.

"What shall we call our son?" Goliath asked, his chest swelling with pride every time he thought of either of his new children. He scarcely believed this moment would come even during Elisa's pregnancy. Now, as he gazed down at the babies, he could scarcely breathe. Each of them shared his gargoyle traits; wings, tails, spurs. They took more from their mother, however. They were more human in size. The girl, Lilith, closely matched her mother's coloring where as the boy was closer to his own. Even with that, there were marked undertones of caramel flushing his skin. In time those tones might fade away or they might become more pronounced.

"Natsilane... We can call him Lane for short." Elisa finally spoke after several moments of watching her mate and children. She was ready to drift off to sleep.

"Is that not the name of the mythical whale hunter?" Goliath asked thoughtfully.

"Close enough... I'm surprised...you remember that." Elisa sighed nearly asleep.

"You must sleep, my love. I will be here when you awaken." Goliath brushed a stray stand of hair out of her face with one large hand.

"Do you think they'll turn to stone with sunrise?" she asked softly before she finally sank down into sleep.

"I am unsure..." his gaze lingered on the children uncertainly as he placed each in the bassinets Sato had wheeled in.

When the sun rose, Goliath still felt some disorientation. He was not yet accustomed to remaining flesh in the light of day. His eyes found the tiny forms of his children only moments after the sun broke over the horizon. Flesh, they had remained flesh. Another trait they had taken from their mother, no doubt. He wondered if it would last their entire lives. A new breed of gargoyle...

/

Babies, hybrid babies. You just know things are going to get interesting now. Seems the Quarrymen are stirring again. What will happen if Castaway learns of the twins? He seems disgusted with the idea of gargoyle/human courtship. How long might Macbeth actually manage to contain Demona? Has he accounted for her use of magic? Hmmm...so many new questions to be answered. The Winds of Change have died down only a fraction with the births of Goliath and Elisa's twins, but how long can the calm last. We are in the eye of the storm.


	3. Chapter 3

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Rosebud1773.

**Winds of Change: Season Three**

**Chapter Three**

Demona glared daggers at Macbeth's back as he walked away. _How dare he walk away! Is he so blind that he cannot see what will happen? Does he not know of the Dracona Cycle? _All these thoughts swirled through her mind in a maelstrom of anger. She doubted he would tell her the truth of the child's nature should he learn it. Snarling, she released her grip on the bars covering the doorway. _There has to be a way out, an escape he has missed_. It would come to her, she knew, but it would take time, trial and perhaps some error. Time was something she had little of these days. Even an immortal could not wait forever where prophecy was concerned.

Glancing around, she realized just how thorough Macbeth had truly been. There were bars everywhere. He had left her a balcony for fresh air, with a cage enclosing it. Clearly he had thought this through for some time. As she prowled the chambers he had sectioned off, her mind returned to the events that had brought her here. Goliath... She had killed him in an attempt to rid herself of his human whore. The dagger meant to sacrifice the abomination the woman carried had, instead, been embedded in his back. He was surely dead. She had seen his last breath with her own eyes. There were gaps, however. Big missing chunks of memory inexpertly wiped from her mind. There would be time enough to excavate those buried memories. Part of her grieved for Goliath. Some part of her had loved him once. Some part, deep down in the embers of her soul must still carry a torch. Why else would his death cost her even a single tear?

Time, she realized. That was what she needed. All things would come to her if only she had the will to wait. She would take the time to mourn. Perhaps she might rebuild a portion of the bridge she had burned with Macbeth. Regain his trust and convince him to release her. "And pigs will fly..." she muttered darkly.

/

Vinnie looked around the warehouse. He thought it was a warehouse. It looked like one from the outside. A particularly rundown warehouse on the docks, at that. A man in a hood had ushered him inside. All he wanted to do was drop off the hood and uniform Mr. Castaway had given him. The Quarrymen seemed a little too territorial for his taste. He did not want to kill the gargoyles. No, Vinnie only wanted a little revenge for their interference in his life. First his bike, then a couple of jobs... Enough was enough. But kill them? No, he did not want to kill anybody. He just wanted the gargoyles to go away and leave him alone. Beyond that he did not care what they did.

"Oh man, this ain't good." he muttered to himself. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of people inside what had turned out to be a state of the art facility. _How am I supposed to go home if they're lockin' me in_? He wondered as the doors sealed shut with a clang.

When the voice so full of authority began calling to those around him, his eyes searched for the source. He found Castaway standing on a catwalk above them. The speech was powerful, he would give him that much. Still, he did not agree with any of it. He did not see the harm in having gargoyles around the globe. True, a couple of those in Manhattan had ruined great big chunks of his life recently, but his luck was finally taking a turn for the best. The job in Japan sounded perfect. A change of scenery, a new life. He could not wait. All he needed to do was unload that stupid Quarrymen outfit.

/

Macbeth exited the elevator at the castle level. It was surprising that security had allowed him access. He was fairly certain by now the residents knew he had taken Demona with him when he had left less than a week ago. The fact that she had not returned to cause more trouble must be the reason he was allowed access now. They wanted to know where she was, if he had contained her and if she would remain a threat. That had to be it, he realized. He did not make it far when he was greeted by the young man he had come to realize was Alexander Xanatos.

"So, come to see the twins for yourself? Demona wants to know if they're human or not, no doubt." Xander's smile was guarded.

"Aye, I have... Demona is currently...indisposed. She won't be making more trouble. For the time being, at least." Macbeth nodded. He stamped his shock down and maintained an even tone when the boy mentioned twins.

"I trust she'll remain that way for some time to come?" the boy asked.

Macbeth was surprised at the cultured tone to his words. So young, barely more than two years old by human standards. It was unnatural, but then Macbeth knew a thing or two about magic and the creatures who wielded it. This boy was much more than he seemed. The elder man knew he could be facing a good deal more trouble than this visit was worth if he did not play his cards right.

"She will remain where she is so long as I can maintain her gilded cage. That is the best I can promise anyone at this point." Macbeth finally stated. He knew there was a very good chance the female might find a way to escape. She wielded magic, after all. His home might have powerful enchantments set in place to prevent spells from functioning, but there was always the chance she could break through them.

"Good. Uncle Owen will see you home when you're ready. Think of it as an extra precaution." the boy paused and eyed the older man for a moment before stepping aside. He indicated the direction with a wave of his hand. "If you'll come with me..."

"So... Xander is it?" Macbeth asked as he stepped abreast of the boy.

"Yes." Xander answered.

"I seem to recall you were no more than a babe in arms a few weeks ago. How is it that you're now nearly a man grown?" Macbeth had no real hope of getting straight answers out of the boy.

"Time is a funny thing." was all Xander said as he guided the ancient king toward the clinic.

/

Elisa gasped and Goliath bristled when Macbeth entered the room behind Xander. It was clear they had some reservations about the man being there. After all, he was eternally bound to Demona. There was no doubt in any of their minds that he had spirited her away while the focus had been on the maelstrom that was Elisa. Why he chose this moment to make an appearance, they did not know.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Goliath snarled and pointed at Macbeth.

"Come now, Uncle. You knew he would come." Xander stated as he stepped aside for the older man.

"This is quite the surprise..." Macbeth muttered as he eyed Goliath. _Not yet sunset and he's flesh_. The thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning. "If you don't mind me asking, how is this possible? Alive...and flesh before sunset, no doubt."

"My secrets are my own, Macbeth. Now, once again, what are you doing here?" Goliath rumbled.

"I've come to pay my respects...and offer an apology. If I had been faster, perhaps closer...Demona might not have wounded you." Macbeth offered.

"She _killed_ him, Macbeth. Demona killed him trying to murder me. I thought she was your responsibility..." Elisa snapped.

"Aye, she is and I've taken her in hand. She'll not bother you again, at least for the time being." he paused and locked eyes with Goliath. "If she killed you, how is it that you stand before me now?"

"I did what needed done." Xander said softly.

Macbeth nodded and glanced between the two of them once more. "Know this; if the worst should happen and Demona escapes, I will do what must be done."

"And what exactly is that?" Elisa asked, a hint of anger still in her voice.

"I'll kill her." he said simply.

"Wait, wouldn't that mean you die with her?" Elisa asked, a note of shock entering her tone.

"It would. The spell that binds us is defined by that very simple law. We must die by each others hand. I will end us both to protect your family, my dear." Macbeth said as he edged closer trying to get a look at the child Elisa was holding.

Finally she let the blanket drop from her daughter's face and Macbeth got a good look. Her son was on the other side of the bed still in his bassinet. She was not sure if Macbeth knew of him or not. It did not matter, she realized as the man moved forward for a better look. The expression on his face said it all. The smile, the crinkling around his eyes and the sparkle in them told her all she needed to know. There could be no doubt he spoke truthfully of his intentions should the worst come to pass.

Goliath watched him with a raptor gaze. It was clear he still did not trust the man. Elisa could not blame him. After all, Macbeth was still bound to Demona. He might speak of killing her to protect their family, but to Goliath they were just words. Action did indeed speak louder than any words ever uttered. Elisa knew her mate would keep a sharp eye on him until he left the building. In many ways, she was glad he had kept the pendant on and remained at her side. In some ways, however, she almost wished he were asleep. The gargoyle needed some kind of rest. Fatigue would begin to wear him down otherwise.

/

Macbeth traced the lines of the infant's face with his eyes. Brow ridges, faint though they were, told him the child was indeed Goliath's. When the mother allowed the blanket to drop slightly, he noticed the curl of a delicate wing extending from just behind the child's shoulder. The fine black down on her head spoke of her mother, as did her coloring. He heard the whimper of another infant not far away and glanced toward the second bassinet in the room. Xander had mentioned twins. The other must be over there.

Cautiously, Macbeth edged around the bed toward the bassinet. Goliath eyed him dangerously the entire time. He made no sudden moves, merely stood over the boy and watched him. The short tail whipping around beneath the boy told him all he needed to know. _Gargoyle and awake before sunset without any form of magical assistance. A new breed, perhaps? _He had hoped to answer some questions. Instead he had a whole set of new ones with no clear answers. Attempting to hold one of the child he decided was a temptation of fate he was not willing to put to the test just now. He thought Goliath might very well snap him in two and though it would not kill him, it would most certainly hurt like hell.

"Do they not turn to stone at sunrise?" Macbeth finally asked.

"No." Elisa answered cautiously.

"I find that hard to believe and yet I see it with my own eyes." the man paused and nodded slowly in understanding. His next words, when they came, were thoughtful. "A new species then. Could that be what Demona fears so?"

"Demona? Afraid? That'll be the day." Elisa barked out a faint laugh at that. It helped to ease the tension.

"I'll tell her they are human. That, at least, will sate her fears for a time." Macbeth stated as he carefully made his way back toward the door.

"She'll figure it out sooner or later." Elisa grumbled.

"Aye, but it need not be today." Macbeth countered. "With the right clothing, they might pass for human at a glance. At any rate, Demona will not be a danger to them any time soon."

"I hope you're right, Macbeth. I've had enough of her kind of trouble to last a lifetime." Elisa grumbled.

/

Goliath watched as the ancient king left the room. He would have followed him if Xander had not taken up that role. He did not like the current chain of events. Demona was still dangerous no matter what sort of prison the man kept her in. He knew from experience that it was next to impossible to hold Demona against her will. The female would find a way to escape. Once she knew of the twins and their survival, he had no doubts that she would come for them. It was merely a matter of time. He would need to be vigilant. The entire clan would. The lives of the clan's children were at stake.

/

With sunset came the clan, all eager to see the new additions. Lex seemed the most excited of all. He had greatly enjoyed caring for Xander no matter how brief it had been. With the twins, he realized he would have years as a supporting caregiver. It seemed nothing could wipe the smile from his face at that.

Elisa smiled at him when he carefully lifted her son from his bassinet. The child eyed him myopically, as newborns tend to do. Lex simply took to making silly faces at him only to earn some lip and tongue movement. It seemed to make him happy as he cradled the boy in the crook of his arm and smiled.

Bronx sniffed at the tuft of hair sticking out of the boy's crown and sneezed when a few hairs tickled the inside of one nostril. That was enough for the gar-beast as he turned and trotted away. He flopped down with a heavy sigh near Hudson's feet. The elder had found chair to ease his aging frame down into. He reached down and patted the gar-beast affectionately for a moment.

A moment later, Lex thrust the baby at him. Elisa laughed at his reaction as he instinctively took the child. He seemed flabbergasted at first, unsure what to do. Gargoyle newborns were not so small and helpless as a human newborn. Hybrids though the twins were, they still retained many human traits. It took the elder precisely five seconds to go from confused bewilderment to doting 'grandfather'. Elisa found it to be an endearing quality.

Brooklyn seemed the most hesitant of those present. Angela and Broadway had already left for patrol with promises of visiting later. The brick red gargoyle kept his distance, however. Without the device he had been toting the last months, he seemed lost. Elisa had only caught glimpses of it on occasion. After hearing he had the Phoenix Gate for a time after he had returned, she suspected the device was something from the future. She was certain Xander knew something, but the boy was tight-lipped about it. Eventually she would find out what the device was and where it had gone. It was probably for the best that the clan's second no longer had it. Reckless as he had been in his youth, she feared he might become more so as he grew older. There was always that chance, after all.

/

Brooklyn stayed well away from the twins. He had come to see them, that was enough. The TCT might be gone, but he knew this timeline was wrong. There had been no biological children between Goliath and Elisa in the timeline he knew. They had adopted a human child who had eventually sired Natsilane 'Nick' Maza's bloodline. Nick was one of the finest resistance leaders he had known. Strong, brave, proud and a natural leader. Now the man might never exist. If he did, he might have a completely different personality. Liz Dracon, Nick's communications officer, would never be born. Her great grandmother had been killed in a plane crash barely two months ago. There were others that would never come into being with this alternate timeline.

Xander might be embracing the idea of the Dracona Cycle, but he was not. He could not bring himself to trust in prophecy. His trust was in action and the individuals who could produce that action. If Goliath and Elisa did not adopt that human boy, he thought perhaps he would. At least if he brought the child into the clan, he would still have some influence from those who should have become his parents. Maybe Nick would still be born from the bloodline and raised with the right moral compass to become the leader he was meant to be. This Dracona, great dragon goddess or not, might not be enough to stop the Space-Spawn when they arrived. He only hoped his presence in the future had not been disrupted. He was needed. His memory of those events was still strong, stable and without gaps. So long as it remained so, he was fairly certain that part of the future was safeguarded against tampering.

/

Demona screamed in outraged anger at the jolt she received. The spell failed. Macbeth had thought of everything, it seemed. His home was warded against magic, at least certain types of magic. Her hands burned and tingled from the sting of electricity. In all her long life there were few things that bothered her more. Humans and their need for power in any form was one of them. She hated electricity and yet she had found it had many noteworthy uses. Apparently preventing mages from concentrating on spellcasting was one of them. She hated Macbeth for that insight. Some part of her dearly loved his genius, however. She always had. That part of her was weak and she banished it to the fringes of her consciousness. She would not give in to love, not again. Love was a lie, based entirely on the chemistry of the brain, meant to trick sentient beings into procreation. It did not last, it could not.

Yet she remembered Paris. She remembered the affection Macbeth had shown her before either of them had been certain of their identities. He had shown her snatches of such affection over the centuries, but she had disregarded it. Paris had changed something in her, however. There had been such tenderness in his touch. _No, he is human and I am gargoyle! There can be no such liaison between us! I will not risk breeding an abomination!_ Demona raged silently as the tingling in her hands ceased.

After several moments she tried again, a variation of the previous spell. The result was the same and she snarled furiously. Casting spell after spell in quick succession only increased the pain of each jolt. Each time the spell failed and she remained caged. It seemed her would-be jailer had thought of everything.

Exhausted and angry was how he found her when he stopped before the door to her prison. She snarled and threw herself angrily at the bars. He was just out of reach of her talons. Part of her knew she would never harm him. She could not. It would only bring her pain. Pain, she was used to physical pain, but the emotional pain it would cause her... He need not know of that. There were some things she was sure he might exploit. He was human, after all. They excelled at exploiting each other's pain.

/

As promised, Owen had escorted Macbeth to his home. Now the Puck eyed the place in distaste. True, the old mansion had been rebuilt using Scottish stone and a number of modern conveniences, but that did not make it Demona-proof. The small assortment of magical wards were weak, at best. The detection spells might as well have been gossamer strands of spider silk. They would detect, but not deflect. That was where the trickster came in. He intended for Demona to remain in her gilded prison for some time to come. That meant augmenting and supplementing the existing defenses. So, he trickled small amounts of magic into each of the defenses Macbeth had in place. Surely Oberon would not notice supplemental magic added to already existing spells. If he did, so be it. He would simply make it clear that he was protecting their investment. By allowing Elisa to live and remain in the mortal world, the Lord of Avalon had acknowledged the fact that Dracona must be reborn. With it came the realization that she must be protected until she came of age.

/

Macbeth eyed Demona irritably. She had been attempting to escape. Magic, he had suspected she might resort to that. Parlor tricks, smoke and mirrors. At least that was what the rest of the world thought of magic. He knew better, as did she. An adept he was not, but he had learned a few tricks and spells over the centuries. _Enough_, he thought, _to at least keep her occupied for awhile, at any rate_. The electrical charges were non-lethal. It had taken some doing to weave that little trick into a detection spell. He had called in a favor for that one. The wonder was that she had not circumvented it yet.

Of course, Puck's magic was harder to navigate than that of any mortal. He would have tipped his hat to the trickster on that account. The Fae knew his stuff. That electrical jolt disrupting her concentration at the critical stage of her spells was almost laughable. It infuriated her, disrupting her concentration even more. By the time he came calling on her, she was in quite the state of rage. She had destroyed some of the smaller pieces of furniture near the door. He could not blame her, really. Her mind was so twisted and distorted from the creature he had known in Scotland. At every turn, she saw betrayal and deception. He knew where that path lead and had avoided it for centuries. She, however, had fallen victim to it time and again. He wished he could prove to her that he meant well, that his intentions were not the evil she seemed to see in every human. She had loved him once, he knew that to his very core. There had to be a way to remind her of that.

/

Vinnie listened to Castaway's speech with growing dread. When those around him started chanting 'No mercy, no quarter!', he knew things were going to get ugly. The gargoyles were annoying, had ruined his life, but this was not what he wanted for them. In a way, he thought they might have put him on the best possible course for a new life. After all, he was moving to Japan in a few weeks. He was sure there would be no gargoyles there to mess with him. This organization, however, was much worse than any gargoyle annoyance he could name. He would gladly let that little green one take a joyride on his new bike if it meant saving even one of them from this group.

Hammers seemed to appear in the hands of those around him. Each one hummed with electrical power as it's new owner gripped the handle. One of them was shoved into his hands and he gulped loudly. Instead of fending it off or dropping it, he examined it. The thing was heavy and he was not a strong man by any means of the word. In fact, he nearly dropped the thing. At first, it seemed like a fairly normal sledgehammer. That was until he flicked the small switch at the base. The charge tingled up his arms and a small green light blinked near the switch.

"You have the advantage. Your identities are secure..." Castaway was saying. "And now you have the tools. Each of you holds in your hands the very instrument that will liberate humanity from the gargoyle threat. Your hammers will respond to your hand and your hand alone. Should anyone else, human or gargoyle, attempt to wield your weapon they will be in for a nasty surprise."

"This is bad..." Vinnie muttered to himself as he glanced around at those currently looking over their hammers.

Castaway continued, unconcerned as each member of his organization made room for those around them. Many swung their hammers experimentally. "Each hammer is charged with enough electrical force to drop a bull elephant. That charge works both ways. Should anyone else get their hands on your weapon, it will disperse a charge strong enough to put them down. This is, of course, a purely defensive charge that surges through the handle. Completely non-lethal. Charged through the hammer's head, however, it contains enough force to shatter a ten ton boulder."

Vinnie watched, along with the true fanatics, as Castaway repelled down a rope to a staging area high enough to be seen by all in the warehouse. On that stage stood a stone figure, clearly an approximation of the big lavender gargoyle he had seen on the airship. The one the female had called Goliath. His eyes grew round as saucers when the slender man charged his own hammer and took a swing at the statue. The instant his hammer made contact, the stone seemed to explode.

Gasps and shouts of glee followed the demonstration. Stone dust covered those in the front lines and Vinnie inched backwards toward any exit he could find. _I gotta get out of here. Gotta warn them. I never wanted this. Revenge is a pie in the face, not death. Damn, these guys mean business_.

"Now that you have your gear, you are free to return to your homes. Be ready. Should the call to action come, do not ignore it. Our very race may depend on your quick response." Castaway said. It was clearly a dismissal as the doors to the side and rear of the warehouse clanged open.

Vinnie was sweating as he made his way toward one of those exits. He froze when someone stepped into his path and blocked him. His face had gone white and the sweat on his brow virtually froze there.

"You forgot to exchange your hood for a helmet." the big man in his path stated quietly.

"Uh...yeah, yeah, I guess I did. So exciting to see the power of one of these. Guess I got lost in the moment..." Vinnie pulled his best poker face and spoke as calmly as he could.

"Here. Your name's on the inside. Custom crafted to fit your cranial size." the big man held the black and silver helmet out to him.

Vinnie nodded and took it, making a point to examine it with feigned interest. "Looks great. Can't wait to put it on and coat it in gargoyle dust."

"Be sure you catch them before sunset or it'll be blood you coat it in." the man laughed at his apparent eagerness. "Safe journey, good hunting."

Vinnie breathed a quiet sigh of relief when the man stepped out of his path. He clenched down on the desire to run for the door and instead stepped into a calm, deliberate swagger. His stride projected a cool confidence he did not feel. It was all he could do to maintain it for the dozen feet to the door.

Once outside, he darted around the building and pressed himself to the rundown boards. His heart hammered against his ribs and he was nearly panting in panic. _Who to contact? Who knows the gargoyles? Who will help? Oh god, I don't know where to start! What if the Quarrymen catch me?_ His thoughts were a wild jumble of anxiety and fear.

/

"We've been over this, Goliath. I have to go back to work. It's a miracle Chavez hasn't fired me." Elisa said in mild exasperation.

"The twins still need their mother close at hand." Goliath protested.

"They'll be fine. They have you. You know how to feed and change them. God knows they love you." Elisa smiled as she rubbed a hand over his breastbone.

"It is not the same, my Elisa..." his protests were feeble and he knew it.

"You'll be fine, big guy. I promise." Elisa soothed. She knew this would be his first time alone with the infants. With any infant from the horrified look that crossed his features. She fought to suppress a laugh at that look.

"It has only been two weeks, my love. Surely the police department can manage a few more nights without you..." he voiced one of his biggest concerns.

"I'm fine, Goliath. The magic lessons have been going great the last few days." she still wanted to scoff at the idea of magic, but she could not deny her blood. "I've learned enough to manage the aches and pains."

"I still do not like it," Goliath grumbled. "Puck dabbles in trouble wherever he goes."

"And he's saved my life a couple of times now. He's even made it possible for us to actually have a real family together. Doesn't that, at least, earn him a little trust?" Elisa asked as she pulled her hair into a tight ponytail.

Grudgingly, Goliath nodded as he took her into his arms. He could not deny Puck's influence in their lives. Nor could he deny the fact that without the trickster's meddling, his youngest children might not exist. After all, the Fae had been charged with securing Dracona's vessel. Glancing toward the crib tucked into the reading area of his chambers, he nodded faintly to himself. They had lost one child before the trickster deemed it necessary to intervene. Because of him, they had a pair of healthy twins sleeping peacefully on the other side of the room.

Sighing, Goliath brought his eyes back to lock on those of his mate. "Very well, but I am coming with you. Lexington is eager and responsible enough to look after the twins for the night."

"You know I'm probably going to be on desk duty tonight, right." Elisa sighed.

"I know you too well, my Elisa. You will not settle for sitting behind a desk. Trouble will find you. It always does." Goliath said with the ghost of a smile blossoming across his stoic features.

"Fine, but don't blame me if you end up spending the rest of the night bored out of your skull in what's left of the clock tower." she grumbled.

/

Vinnie, we remember him, don't we? The guy on the motorcycle. The guy Demona tried to toss out the hatch on the airship. And for those who actually watched season three [generally ignored in this fic] the guy who blasted Goliath in the face with a cream pie. Yeah, that guy. Seems he's stumbled into the Quarrymen's lair. Goliath seems terrified to be left alone with babies. Elisa has to eventually return to work. We knew this day would come. The Winds of Change are beginning to pick up speed again.


	4. Chapter 4

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Rosebud1773.

**Winds of Change: Season Three**

**Chapter Four**

"My office! Now, Maza!" Chavez barked the instant Elisa made an appearance.

"Oh boy..." Elisa sighed as she hurried toward the office. She noted along the way that the damage done the night of the hunter's moon had finally been cleared away. It had taken nearly four years for that work to be finished. The construction crew was still working on the clock tower. She suspected they would be for some time to come. Realistically the whole building should have been condemned and torn down with the shear amount of damage the Canmore family had done to the place.

Chavez merely watched her as she closed the door behind her. "Take a seat."

Elisa made no comment. She simple followed orders. It was all she could do. There was still the question of her job hanging in the balance to consider. Chavez could easily ask for her gun and badge.

"Half the precinct knows you were pregnant, no thanks to Bluestone." Chavez stated flatly.

"I can come up with a cover for that.." Elisa began.

The older woman held up a hand to stop her. "I've already got that covered. There's a boy, a couple of weeks older than your twins..."

"What are you suggesting?" Elisa asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed on the woman before her.

"I'm suggesting you take him in. Pass him off as your son to the rest of the precinct. Raise him with the twins." Chavez stated calmly.

"Captain... Two babies are almost more than we can handle now. How are we supposed to take on a third?" Elisa protested. Then another thought occurred to her and she had to voice it. "Besides, won't the rest of the precinct realize he's not mine when they see him?"

"He has your coloring. They'll never know the difference." Chavez answered sweetly. She had an answer for everything, it seemed.

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" Elisa asked suspiciously. "How long have you been planning this?"

"I've been chewing on how to cover the twins for a couple of months now, Elisa. This little boy was orphaned a few days ago. Mother died from complications of childbirth. Father was recently killed in action overseas. There are no other living relatives to take him in. He'll end up being raised in the system if no one steps up to claim him." Chavez offered.

Elisa thought it over, weighing her options and realized she really had none. Either she take this child in or she claim her pregnancy had ended in a stillbirth. Since there was no funeral and depressed, grieving mother to go with that particular cover, the rouse would fail before it was even off the ground. This little boy might be the key to keeping her hybrid twins a secured secret, protecting them from discovery.

"Alright, say we take him. How are we supposed to deal with three kids in diapers? The twins are a handful now." Elisa chewed on the idea.

"You have Goliath and the rest of the clan. I'm sure there are plenty of hands ready to help." Chavez said coolly.

Elisa eyed her dangerously for a moment. "Sometimes Goliath acts like he's completely terrified of the twins. If I leave him alone with them, he hands them off to Lex or Brooklyn before taking off on patrol."

Chavez leveled an angry gaze on Elisa. The look on her face said it all. It was clear she meant to have a word with Hudson over that particular revelation. There was no telling how that would go. Finally she asked, "Are you kidding me?"

"Uh-huh. He's here tonight, up in the clock tower." Elisa said tiredly.

"Ok..." Chavez said and abruptly stood. "I think I'm going to have a chat about responsibility with our giant purple friend."

The look that crossed Elisa's face was one of shear horror. She could imagine how that might go. Chavez would snap at him, he would bellow and the entire district would hear his outrage. "I really don't think that's a good idea, Captain."

"Look, he's your mate or husband or whatever gargoyles call it. He should be helping out with those babies. He helped make them. It's only fair he share the responsibility. I thought he was clan leader. Does he think he's above caring for his own children?" Chavez seemed very irate over the whole thing.

"It's not like that, Maria..." Elisa began.

"Hudson told me children are raised by the clan and almost never know who their parents are, but this is different. You're human, Goliath knew that from the start. I can't imagine he didn't know that humans raise our own children. You did tell him, didn't you?" Maria was trying to see all the angles.

"I didn't have to. He saw how human families function long before I ever met him. We just...well...we never expected to have one of our own. Sure, I thought we might adopt a kid later on, but the twins...? They were a shocking surprise. We didn't think we were genetically compatible or we might have been more cautious." Elisa explained.

"Are you telling me you didn't want the twins?" Chavez asked as she lowered herself back into her chair.

"What?! No, of course not. I just didn't think we'd be having them so soon. I'm sure Goliath wasn't ready for fatherhood so fast. Gargoyles have a good ten years after a clutch to prepare. He had hours." Elisa tried to explain.

"As I understand it, he has a grown daughter. Isn't Angela his daughter?" Chavez asked.

"Yeah, but she hatched and grew up on Avalon. He had no idea she even existed. He completely missed her entire childhood. Maria, he'd never been close to a child until Brooklyn came home with his son. With babies, he's completely clueless. He'll play with them, but everything else seems... I don't know...too much, too fast for him?" Elisa was reaching a stress high and she knew it was hormone related.

It was hard to express her concerns regarding Goliath and their children. Puck had made matters worse by explaining how her mate had apparently abandoned thirty-six eggs to the care of the princess and the Magus. Instead of attempting to care for and raise them, he had opted to take a one thousand year stone nap. The idea just rubbed her the wrong way. Of course she understood why he had done it. His entire world was turned to ruins in just one night. He had believed he was the only living gargoyle left on the planet. That would be enough for anyone to consider suicide. In his mind, the curse the Magus conjured must have seemed like a death sentence. Elisa also understood that, without help, it would have been impossible to care for thirty-six babies no matter how self-sufficient they might be at birth. One person could not have done it alone. Proud as he was, Goliath would not have left Castle Wyvern with the princess.

"He should still be helping out with those kids. He's never going to get used to the idea of raising them if he doesn't jump in." Chavez interrupted her thoughts after a moment of consideration. Pushing herself up to her feet once more, she muttered half under her breath as she headed for the door. "I still think I'll have that word with him. If it doesn't work, I'll talk to Hudson."

Elisa jumped to her feet with a gasp as the woman stepped out of the office. This was not good. Goliath, more mellow and secure with their 'marriage', was still very capable of being unreasonable. She could just about hear him bellowing loud enough for all of Manhattan to hear when Maria confronted him. The woman would do it anyway, but there had to be a way to keep her mate calm.

/

Goliath was leaning on the bent railing just outside the new clock face when the two women stepped out behind him. He turned curiously and noticed the expressions on their faces. Elisa was in a near panic and Chavez had a sour, somewhat determined look. Dread clenched his gut when he realized he was about to receive some sort of verbal battering. He sighed in resignation and crossed his arms. This was not going to be pleasant.

"Why are you here? Why aren't you with the twins?" Chavez barked, her tone angry.

"They are safe and cared for. The clan will protect them while we are away." Goliath answered smoothly.

"The clan aren't their father." Chavez' tone was crisp.

"Children are raised by the clan. It is the gargoyle way." Goliath answered almost automatically.

"I understand that, but Elisa is human. That makes the twins half human. Human babies require bonding and security from _both_ parents." the woman snapped while Elisa hung back with a look of pure horror on her face.

Goliath frowned at the police captain. His temper was nearly bubbling over. He wanted to remind her that Elisa was much more than human. She had seen it the night of the commitment ceremony. All of their friends and family had. That had to mean something with the twins and their ability to adapt. In his building anger, he rumbled. "Tread carefully, Captain."

"Or what? You'll bite my head off? Bellow at the top of your lungs? Fly away into the night to stew on your anger? Sorry, not buying that wagon. Try again." Chavez was the first to raise her voice.

"You risk much..." Goliath said darkly.

"Yeah, and you need anger management classes. I swear, if I could find a therapist who wouldn't run the other way at the sight of a gargoyle, I'd send him up here to meet you." Chavez glared at him and poked her finger into his chest a couple of times to make her point. "Go. Home. Take care of your children. Elisa is safe enough here."

Goliath glared at Chavez. His entire field of vision had shrunk down to that one irritating female. _What does Hudson see in her? She is like salt in a wound. _"This clock tower proves otherwise," he growled and pointed at the shattered wall. "or have you forgotten the Hunter and the destruction he and his family rained down on this building? What of the lives lost that night? Elisa could have been one of them. She very nearly was."

It was the captain's turn to glare in silence as the gargoyle pointed out the facts. She did not like it, but she had to admit he made a good point. If he and the rest of the clan had not shown up at the cathedral, the Canmores might have gotten away. Then again, if Elisa had not shown up, Goliath might have torn one or all of them apart with his bare hands.

"I will remain here. I trust my clan to care for the hatchlings this night." Goliath broke the silence that seemed to stretch out into long minutes. It was clear from his expression and body language this was his final word on the matter.

"Fine. Stay. You'll need to be here to take Elisa home later anyway." Chavez fumed and turned toward the open door. A thought seemed to strike her and she glanced back at him for a moment. "The two of you will be taking a human baby home with you tomorrow night."

"What?!" Goliath bellowed, but the woman ignored him and headed back inside.

"He's our cover, Goliath. We raise him with the twins. The rest of the world thinks he's the baby I gave birth to. The twins stay safe." Elisa quickly soothed. She would have liked to wait for the right moment to tell him, but her boss had taken that out of her hands.

Goliath was seething. He turned away from his mate to stare out at the city. Perhaps Chavez was right. Managing his temper might well avoid trouble in the future. He admitted, but only to himself, that sometimes his temper got the better of him. Sometimes it forced him to act on impulse. He knew far too well that anger driven impulses were bound to lead to more trouble. A deep sigh of irritation rolled from his lungs at that. He would clamp down on his anger more in the future. His children did not need to grow up believing their father's rash behavior was acceptable. _Or_, and the very thought chilled him to the core, _believing me to be some sort of monster_.

"Very well, my Elisa. We shall take this boy in, if that is what you wish." his voice, when it finally came, was much softer and calmer than he had thought it would be.

"You're sure? I mean, he'll be a handful with the twins..." Elisa commented with a note of disbelief in her voice.

"I am certain this child is the answer we are seeking. As you say, he will provide the twins a cover." Goliath confirmed quietly.

/

Castaway stepped around the corner of the building toward the waiting van. It was time to train some of his fledglings, those who were not as committed to the cause as he would like. As he rounded the corner he saw the very young man who had initially crossed his mind; Vinnie. Before the man could slip away into the night, he grabbed him by the arm.

"Vinnie, was it?" he asked smoothly.

Vinnie gulped and nodded, "Yeah... Look, I'm not sure all this hammer business is really necessary, you know. I mean, I was just offered a job in Japan. Couple of weeks and I'll be outa here."

"Put the hood on, Vinnie. It's the only way." Castaway stated in a menacing tone as he guided the younger man toward the back of the van.

"With all due respect..." Vinnie began and was cut off before he could utter another syllable.

"You hunted down a gargoyle. We need more people like that. People who will go to any lengths to cull the gargoyle menance." Castaway said as he pushed the 'hood' toward Vinnie's chest. The thing was more like a hooded helmet as it dug into the other's breastbone.

"Yeah, about that, Mr. Castaway... Sure, I hunted one down, but, um...when I caught up to him... Well, I just hit him with a cream pie." Vinnie stammered looking for a way out.

"Even still, you took the initiative and hunted the beast down. Imagine if you had had a Quarrymen's hammer in your hands that night. You might have liberated the world of one nighttime threat."

The enthusiasm of a true zealot, that was what Vinnie realized he was hearing in the man's tone. He knew in that instant that there was no way out. Following this madman was his only hope. Maybe he could convince him that smashing the gargoyles was not the way to tackle this problem. If nothing else, he thought he might be able to stop him from killing one of them tonight, at least.

His mind made up, Vinnie settled the odd hooded helmet onto his head. Castaway clapped him on the shoulder as he guided him into the van with a few others. There seemed to be a smile hidden behind the mask he wore as he spoke. "Good man."

The ride was relatively short as they made their way to an airfield. A helicopter sat waiting, it's engine running hot and ready. Vinnie gulped in anxiety. He had not been in the air since the air-fortress had come crashing down. _This night just gets better and better. What's worse_, he wondered, _being in the air again or maybe facing down an enraged gargoyle_?

/

Elisa had gone back to her old apartment one final time. She meant to retrieve any family photos left behind. Her true goal was to recover Cagney's urn, if it was intact. She had not been inside the apartment since that fateful night Demona had carried her away. As she turned the key and pushed the door open, she realized no one else had either. The door leading to the balcony was boarded up, but the wreckage of her furniture remained. Memory flooded her as she scanned the room. Goliath lying in a heap of broken wood, his left wing crumpled over him. Demona explaining that he would never glide again. Accusing her of turning the gargoyle against his own kind and ultimately being the cause of his greatest loss. It had been a night of hell, followed by a good many months more. It was a chapter of her life she had pushed aside for quite some time. Her coping mechanism for those months of torment had been to avoid facing it at all. She was more than ready to close the door on it all. That meant letting the apartment go. She no longer had need of it. Beyond a few sentimental items she should have retrieved long ago, there was nothing left there for her.

Glancing out the unbroken window adjoined to the door, Elisa gazed loving at Goliath's stone form. He had opted to leave the amulet at the castle claiming he needed the rejuvenating affects of stone sleep today. She knew the truth that he refused to speak. The apartment was a bitter reminder of his own perceived failure. No matter how she soothed him, he still counted two failures to protect her; the night she had fallen off the dam into the Hudson river and the night Demona had carried her off. Neither of those were failures in Elisa's eyes. They were simply circumstances beyond his ability to navigate. In her eyes, he had never once failed her when she truly needed him. That was why she trusted him, why she loved him and why she had married him. She knew, when he finally got his head on right in regards to their new family, he would not fail her or them. It required a bit more of an adjustment period for him, however. In acknowledging his children, he was flying in the face of gargoyle custom. That was something even Chavez did not yet understand. She might be betrothed to a gargoyle, but that did not mean she understood everything about them. _Even I don't know everything about them_, Elisa admitted to herself.

Elisa packed through the day. Some of the things she packed were bound for Good Will. A couple of boxes would go to Derek and Maggie. A few boxes were headed to her parents and the last box... That last box should have gone to Beth. Beth had begged her for a couple of years to let her have that one pair of boots along with Grandma's Christmas ornaments. Now it was too late. Beth was gone.

Sighing, Elisa taped the lid down and scribbled Good Will on the side of the box. She wiped at her eyes and grunted in frustration. Her voice was little more than a choked whisper, "It's not fair. She was just a kid..."

Glancing up toward the window and the early evening sky, she realized sunset was maybe an hour away. Goliath would be awake soon and she would bury herself in the security that his solid form offered. For now, she meant to take a shower and change. Digging through all the nooks and crannies of the apartment was dirty work. She meant to be ready to leave as soon as he awoke. Xanatos had already arranged for someone to come pick up the boxes and deliver them to their destinations.

/

"We found one!" called a hooded woman hanging halfway out of the helicopter.

Vinnie glared at her. They had been in the air a good part of last night, only setting down for a short time before sunrise. As soon as the sun was up, they were back in the air. He had lost count of exactly how many statues had been found and shattered across lower Manhattan. To his great relief Castaway had stomped and cursed each time one crumbled into so much rubble. Those were merely statues. The man claimed that if they had been real, some pieces would have melted away into something resembling sand. Not all, but some. He said it had something to do with their alien nature. It did not matter to him, he was just glad they had yet to find a real gargoyle in stone sleep. At least until now.

As his eyes shot toward the target, his mouth went dry with dread. He knew that colossal form. Flesh or stone, he would know him anywhere. That was the big one he had seen on the air-fortress with the crazy redheaded female. He was the one Vinnie had launched a pie at. Goliath, he thought the others had called him.

"It's probably just another statue..." Vinnie grumbled, hoping it would deter them from the task they had chosen.

"Better smash it and be sure." someone else snapped behind him.

Vinnie tried a couple of delaying tactics as they closed in on the balcony. None seemed to work. The ladder was dropped and the two goons descended.

/

The sun was sinking toward the horizon when she stepped out of the bathroom in a loose blue dress. She did not worry about the twins, they were being spoiled as she packed out the apartment. Her parents had volunteered to look after them until she and Goliath returned. She knew her mother with babies. Nothing made the woman happier.

"Man, that helicopter is annoying..." she muttered and glanced toward the window. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight of the hooded man climbing down the ladder toward Goliath. "No, oh god, no..."

Nearly tripping over a box, she slammed into the window frame and forced it open. Squeezing out onto the balcony, she ran at the man who had just charged some sort of electrified sledgehammer.

"Nighty-night..." the guy in the mask snarled as he raised the hammer.

As she rammed into him, he dropped the hammer and it clattered bare inches from Goliath's stone toes. Fighting him wildly, she threw a punch and he caught her fist in his palm. The man squeezed and snarled in her face through his mask, "No way you're fighting this hard if stone-face weren't the real thing."

A wordless snarled passed her lips as she struggled to break free of his grip.

"Makes smashin' him all the sweeter."

With another snarl, Elisa kicked his legs out from under him. He scrambled to his feet with a snarl of his own, "Monster loving wh-"

"Shut up!" she snapped and drilled him in the face with her fist. Stooping with her hands on her knees for a moment, she grunted in an effort to catch her breath. Her eyes found the hammer lying far too close to her mate's feet and she reached for it.

"I wouldn't touch that. Only Quarrymen are licensed to pile-drive! Now back up!" came a woman's voice from above.

Elisa looked up and froze. Another hooded figure was descending the ladder and she had a gun trained on her. The sounds of movement behind her told her the other hooded thug was coming around. He groaned softly as he got to his feet.

"Get up and finish what you started!" the woman snapped, her aim never wavering.

Elisa glanced toward the horizon._ Just a few more seconds. Please. Only a few seconds and Goliath will wake up_. In answer to her silent plea, she heard the first cracks sizzling across the surface of Goliath's stone form. The guy climbing to his feet uttered a quiet 'uh oh' mere seconds before Goliath burst free of his stone skin with a roar.

Heart pounding, Elisa all but screamed at him, "Goliath, look out!"

Goliath was fully alert at her shout and narrowly avoided a hit from the electrified sledgehammer as the first thug swung it. The second thug, the woman, yelled at her colleague to get out of the way. Goliath was faster, slamming the pair bodily into each other. They fell in a tangle of limbs with soft moans.

Elisa and Goliath came together for an instant. Both asking in unison, "Are you alright?"

It was a brief moment that did not last. Gunfire ran out and bullets peppered the wall behind them. Goliath hastily grabbed Elisa around the waist and dove off the side of the building. They had not gone far before the helicopter gave chase. A hail of gunfire followed them and Goliath dodged it as best he could. He meant to shield Elisa with his own body if he must.

The lavender behemoth knew a moment of blinding pain when a bullet tore through his left wing. The membrane shredded into tatters against the current of wind as the bullet passed through it. Another struck home and he heard the distinctive sound of metal on bone before he lost his hold on the wind. His world was pain, brilliant, blinding agony as he tried to maneuver himself to protect his mate even in the fall. Failure was not an option in this. He would gladly sacrifice himself if he could ensure that his mate survived this fall.

/

Terror raged through her as they fell. She tried to control her cry of fear. It only fueled Goliath's desire to protect her. He twisted in the air trying to roll so that he took the full force of the impact that was coming. All the while she was trying to grasp that elusive spark of magic she had wielded so easily the night of their commitment ceremony. It danced away and she grew more frantic. She watched in horror as his wing shuttered and crumpled in on itself in spasm. The very wing Demona had all but destroyed that night.

A moment came when he was unable to maintain control of the wing and they flipped toward a rooftop. She gasped when he rolled them, his back facing down. The wind took the word before it reached his ears, "No..."

The impact was hard. They skidded across several feet of gravel before Goliath's shoulders and upper back slammed into the small dormer that housed the exit to the roof. Cracks spider-webbed across the small building the instant they came to rest against it.

Goliath took a pained breath after a dozen long and thunderous heartbeats. Elisa let hers out. He was alive. She had feared this was his end. Wasting no time, she carefully disentangled herself from him and stood. Hissing in pain when she stepped on a sharp stone, she realized one shoe was missing. That was the least of her concerns, she realized as she assessed her mate's condition.

/

_By the dragon, will we ever be safe from those who would hunt us down and see us all slain_? Dazed though he was, Goliath's mind still spun that question out to the cosmos. At every turn, whenever they had come to a place of seeming stability, it was ripped away. He was tired of the fight. He wanted peace, peace for his clan, his mate, himself, but most of all he wanted peace for his children. The dragon knew he had tried time and again to turn humanity's views of his kind. He had tried to sway their hatred with knowledge and understanding. In the end, he wondered if perhaps Demona had the right of it after all. Not her genocidal ideals, of course, but there was some merit to her distrust of nearly all of humanity.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to full alertness and pushed himself up onto his knees. No, Demona's hatred of humanity was not the path he wished to take his clan down. That path lead only to death and destruction for both races. His clan had a greater purpose. Why else would the dragon goddess herself choose him to become her father? Thanks to Puck, he knew something of the prophecies now. He knew that in the last fifteen hundred years he was the only gargoyle to align himself so closely with a human. In all of gargoyle and human history combined, he was the only gargoyle to have bonded himself to a human and lived to tell of it.

And now there were children, the dragon goddess herself reborn within one of them. Of course his clan was meant to change the world, but perhaps that was not his task. His task this night was to keep his mate safe from those who would slaughter them both out of fear. He would not fail in that task. It was his duty, his honor that hung on the line. Twice he had failed her. There would be no third time. He would die first.

The sound of tearing fabric grabbed his wavering attention for an instant just before he felt Elisa's gentle hands wrapping the injured struts of his left wing. He hissed in pain as she tied it off and regretted the involuntary reaction as soon as it had spilled from his lips. Rarely did he ever allow her to see how much pain most injuries caused him. Instead, he would bite down on that pain, feed it into his rage and use it against his foes. Last night, he had come to realize that he had allowed his anger to rule him. That was not the gargoyle way, nor was that the gargoyle he wished to be. He was not a creature of rage. That definition fit Demona best, not him.

Tonight he had derailed his anger before it could consume him. In some ways, he regretted that decision now. It left him open, vulnerable in a way he was not accustomed to in the eyes of his mate. He supposed that it made him seem less a mythical creature and more a mortal being. She would still see him as her guardian, her champion. Perhaps more so knowing that he was not invincible. He knew she would love him no matter what form he was draped in.

"Sorry, best I could do..." Elisa said softly as she came around to stand before him.

"It will do." Goliath murmured as he climbed to his feet and caped his wings. "We need to return to the castle, but...I cannot glide on this wing."

"Right. We need another way..." Elisa began and was interrupted by Goliath pressing her against the cracked wall even as he pressed his own back against it.

The helicopter made a pass of the building, the light searching for any sign of them. As the light was turned toward the building across the street, Goliath scooped her up and dashed for the edge of the roof. Elisa gasped as he leaped out into open air, wings pinned tightly against his shoulders. A heartbeat later they landed with a heavy thud on the next building. They went along like that over several rooftops before those in the helicopter grew wish to the direction of the sound.

"Old stomping grounds..." Elisa muttered as she gazed at the shattered clock tower with its network of scaffolding.

Half a heartbeat later, the helicopter swung around and the spot light landed on them.

"Run, Elisa!" Goliath growled as he thrust them both toward the building's edge. With all his might, Goliath flung them both at the opening below the clock face that had not yet been repaired. Gunfire followed them. He heard the glass face of the clock shatter and rain down to the street below. The artillery they were using must have been armor piercing to do that kind of damage. That glass had been several inches thick. He feared to see what it might do to flesh.

Scrabbling for purchase, he pushed Elisa into the debris strewn room and pulled himself up. For a moment, they had a chance to catch their breath. It did not last. One of the Quarrymen swung into the opening, his hammer charged and ready. Another followed him with a gun.

"If he gets away, we can kiss our paychecks goodbye." the woman said as Goliath hid in the shadows.

"Pucker up..." Elisa snarked from the ragged opening that had once been the clock face. He had not seen her climb up there in his haste to seek the shelter of the shadows.

Before either of them could turn toward her, Goliath charged out after them. He ripped up ruined floor boards and dropped one of them to the floor below. The man moaned, but did not rise again. Somewhere along the way, more of them had come into the clock tower. He dealt with the woman swiftly, but another man he had not seen struck him with the electrified hammer. The charge that coursed through his body ripped a scream from his lungs. The man herded him toward the opening he and Elisa had come in through until he stumbled and fell. It was sheer luck that allowed him to catch hold of a piece of a twisted girder. Pulling himself back up, he screamed again when the hammer struck once more.

"One more time should just about do it, monster." there was a barely concealed laugh in the man's voice.

"No!" Elisa cried out and grabbed for the hammer's handle. The Quarrymen tapped her with it and she went down.

"Hold her while I finish her beast." he said to another man in a slightly different uniform.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Careful, Vinnie. This is war and traitors are dealt with harshly in war."

"I mean, what happens to her when he's...you know..?"

"I don't take prisoners. She chose to abandon humanity for this monster. She'll get exactly what she deserves." the leader snapped.

"This is wrong. I won't let you do this." Vinnie growled as he gently lowered Elisa to the floor. When he stood, he jerked his hood off.

The Quarrymen leader turned and raised his hammer in defense as Vinnie made a grab for it. The two wrestled for several moments before the hammer struck Vinnie. He went down like a sack of potatoes next to Elisa. "Now it's your turn."

Goliath was ready for him. Vinnie had given him precious seconds to recover a fraction of his strength. He rushed the Quarrymen, but the other moved just as quickly. He dove under Goliath's arm and shot out the gap in the wall. The gargoyle glared out that opening almost hoping the man had fallen to his death. Mere seconds later, the helicopter rose to eye level, the Quarrymen leader dangling from the ladder.

"Dream of me, Goliath! Dream of me!" came the shout from the deranged man.

Elisa rose with a moan holding her head shortly after the helicopter disappeared over the Manhattan skyline. It was clear she was going to have a hell of a headache for awhile. Goliath was surprised she was awake so soon. Vinnie was still out cold. He had no intention of leaving the man behind. At the very least, he would make sure he was going to be ok before he and Elisa continued their trek to the castle.

They did not have long to wait for the man to awaken. He did not shy away from either hand that offered to help him to his feet. Instead, he grasped them both and was hauled up quickly. "Hey, you're alive! I mean, I did save your bacon just now..."

"Yes..., you saved us." Goliath allowed him to take credit for their survival, after all, without his distraction, they might not have survived the night.

"So, you gargoyles gotta be more careful in the future. I'm not gonna be around to pull your fat outa the fire after next week. Moving to Japan, new job and all. No more gargoyles to muck things up and need saving." Vinnie laughed as he headed toward the ruined trapdoor that lead down into the precinct. He waved before disappearing below.

"Who exactly was that anyway?" Elisa asked.

"You know, I've never really been sure." Goliath admitted with a smile as he thought back on a couple of encounters with the man.

"Do you think we should tell him there are gargoyles in Japan?" Elisa asked, a spark of mischief in her eyes.

"He'll find out soon enough. Perhaps it's best he doesn't know now." Goliath said with a smile then glanced toward the Eyrie building. "Let's go home."

"More roof hopping? How's the wing?" Elisa asked.

Goliath grumbled then met her eyes honestly, "Not good... The sails need stitching to heal properly at sunrise. I am not sure how badly the struts are damaged..."

"Then we need to move. Sunrise isn't far off and Dr. Sato should look at that before you turn to stone." Elisa said in a matter of fact tone as she headed for the ledge.

"Yes..." Goliath drew the word out as he scooped her up. It would take some time yet to reach the castle above the clouds.

/

So, Chavez is a mouthy one, but we knew that already. Goliath is realizing that he has been allowing his anger to dictate his actions. Good for him. He's also realizing that it may not be his duty to correct the thinking of an entire world. There's also the matter of his reluctance to do more than play with his twins. He's stubborn and still stuck in 'the gargoyle way' frame of mind. I'm sure he'll come around...eventually. [the character himself is driving that tidbit of stubbornness...lol] Oh, and there's the wing thing to deal with...again. Isn't it wonderful. Poor gargoyle barely regained use of that wing last time. The Quarrymen just had to pick on that same wing.

[The human baby mentioned is, in fact, the boy this pair was meant to adopt in Weisman's timeline. I'm not tossing out the whole 'human resistance leader' theme he had set up for the space-spawn era.]

Plenty more to come [if I don't destroy my keyboard, stupid M key barely working...]. Stay tuned.


End file.
